Continuation of Balance
by 9TeiruKitsuneToo
Summary: Continuation of the story Balance, the link to which can be found in my favorite stories. Yes, it's the same author. Read A/N
1. Placing the Queens Godai

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN. Nor do I own any Agatha Christie books [from which I've semi stolen-ahem-borrowed stories/characters]. However I do own any other characters I've made. So if you wanna make a story about/with them you'll have to ask me first. Seriously, no touchie.**

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**Notes**:

Hello! And welcome to part two of Balance. Yep! I'm the same writer. I just can't access my account any more (-_-;). I apologize for the long wait. VERY long wait. RL issues and stuff. I'd rather not go into detail. However, I am merely returning to finish this story. Sorry, but I'm done writing after that. Well, fan fics anyway. I can't promise how fast updates will be, but I'll try my hardest. If this is your first time seeing this story, you'll have to start there. The link to it can be found under my favorite stories.

Enjoy!

**[Notes to reviews at bottom]**

* * *

I've gotten the annoying habit of jumping whenever the telephone rings. The monster rarely made house calls anymore, so his main way of contacting me is by phone.

Which is why I'm always jumpy whenever it rings-this time being no exception.

I was surprised though, that it was Yako. She usually only visits, never calls.

"Hey, this is rare. Normally the monster calls and not you."

"Um, well...I actually called because I need a favor."

…

Figures.

Well, at least doing stuff for Yako was easier than the tasks the monster gave me.

"Whatcha need?"

"Actually, I'm here. Is it ok if I come in?"

"Why are you asking? You know you're always welcome to visit. Did you come to play more video games?"

There was such a long pause on the other end I thought she'd lost signal.

"Godai, I am really sorry."

"About what?"

I had barely finished speaking when the door flung open.

The first to walk through was not Yako. ***Cheh*** I see she brought the monster with her.

And to my surprise two other people as well, the only one of which I recognized was the monster's sister Kira.

Yako glanced nervously about the room.

"So, what's the party for?"

I glared lightly at the two I didn't know, a man with glasses and a woman who seemed to be trying to kill me with her glare.

Instinctively my hand brushed the jade knife in my boot. While not threatening, I couldn't shake the feeling of danger from the two.

Kira smiled brightly as she trotted over to sit on the desk.

"I was wondering if you wanted to help with a little problem Yako is having."

"Problem?"

"People trying to kill her to be precise."

My eye's narrowed. "These guys?" I pointed at the people who had come in with her;

"Oh, no. These guys are harmless. It's the East and South Generals."

My breath stopped for a second, more out of surprise than fear. Of course it had to be such a serious assignment. I glanced at Yako and couldn't quite hold hold back a deep sigh.** "**My territory may have grown a lot recently, but my people won't be able to take on both generals at once. Not to mention it'd be a long and bloody battle. Though I doubt that's what Yako had in mind."

Kira's grinned widened. "So you're in then?"

If it saved Yako...

"Yeah. I'm in. So, who are the stiffs with you guys?"

Kira looked blankly at Yako.

Yako's friends then?

"Th-they're...pls." Yako barely muttered.

Huh?

"What? I can't hear your mumbling."

She took a deep breath.

"They're police."

.

.

.

What?

Cops?

"Yako." I could tell my voice was seriously soft. "Please tell me you are joking."

This got an immediate reaction from the female...cop.

"You think we like it either? If it wasn't for Yako I'd have you and your violence group in hand cuffs by now!"

My fingers tightened on the knife.

"My _chivalrous organization_ and I have done nothing wrong-you have no grounds to arrest me. However a harassment suit against you would hold up pretty well in court."

"Yako-san! Are you sure you trust this guy?"

Now THAT irritated me. After all the freakin' crap I had gone through with Yako, all the times I'd put myself in danger to get her information, and all the times I was freakin' worried to death, or worked myself to the bone for her, and the bleeding cop wanted to know if she trusted me?

***WHAM***

The knife my finger's had been turning white around stuck firm in the desk, the hand I didn't know I'd moved still grabbing it.

Both cops had guns pulled and aimed at me in an instant. Their reaction time was so slow it was a good thing I didn't throw it. I'd have a dead cop in my office to clean up.

"Godai, Usui-san, Todoroki-san, everyone please just calm down." Yako's voice was soft and calm, and it didn't escape me it was the same voice she used on criminals.

"You know this low-life well enough not to use honorifics?" The female cop's voice did not sound pleased.

"Don't worry, Godai's trust worthy. He's probably the second person I trust most in this world."

I couldn't help but smile a bit at that.

The cop did not. Instead, her frown deepened. "The first being the alie-I mean Nogami...-san?"

Yako squirmed a bit. Perhaps this cop wasn't all bad if she didn't like the monster.

I returned the knife to it's sheath, and the cops reluctantly lowered their guns.

"So," Kira's smile was back. "who wants to hear the plan?"

* * *

**Notes2:** I hope I can still write after so long. (-_-;)

**soshi185**** :** My break went well. (^_^) Extremely busy and such, but well.

Thanks! Unfortunately my mind is a bit muddled on exactly what I was planning for this arc. So I'll just have to improvise in what I don't remember. (-_-)

I like that pairing a lot too. And Higuchi is going to be difficult. Like I said, I have a hard time juggling so many characters. Mostly because I force myself to be each one in each situation. Sorry you had to wait so long!

**CornflowerBlue****:**It's very flattering you reread my story. (^_^) I hope it was worthy of your time. Ahahahahaha. Yep. Well, she goes by two different identities to Godai, so I'm going to have to figure out how to explain that. If she does at all, lol. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**.**: Uwah. I'll see what I can do then. Thank you for reading and reviewing! Sorry for not writing for so long!

**WickedlyMe****:** I'm so glad! (^_^) Thanks! I always love it when books and T.V. Shows and stuff all tie together. Hope I can pull it off. (-_-) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Sorry for not writing for so long!

**GreyFitti****:** Thank you so much! I'm glad they seem IC! I always slightly worry about that... Ah, and I don't really change the mystery part too much, just how each person reacts to the mystery. I'm not smart enough to mess around with it. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Kurono-aijin:** I'm so glad! Sorry it took so long to make her likeable. (-_-;) I'm not very good at adding characters. I hope she can continue to live up to your expectaions! Ahahahaha. That does sound like Kira. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Rainbow Ninja Mizuki: ** Ahahahaha. You probably knew it wouldn't be Neuro right (^_-) Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**7cupcake:** You are totally right! Tis one of my fav TV shows! Sorry for not holding up my end of the bargin...but if you like you can suggest something for one of the chapters. I'll see if I can work it in. (^_^) [no promises tho, since I won't make characters go OOC or mess with the story's ending] I actually starting writing again because I saw your review. [Yes, I just checked reviews two days ago] Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Vampire-fetish15 : **Sorry, I didn't update soon. I'm so glad you like it! Ahahahaha. I thought that would be a funny running joke. (^_^) Glad you liked it! Sorry you had to wait so long! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Soshi185:** Apparently I am, lol. While 7cupcake made me feel bad for not continueing my story [since I was a liar], your review made me inspired to continue. I hope you find this story even if I'm writing under a different name. Thank you so much for all you past comments. You were one of the regulars I always looked forward too. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!

**Relinquishblue:** I thank you for pointing it out to me, but it has been brought to my attention already. I left and A/N about it, but, well, most people don't read those. Thanks for pointing it out tho. (^_^) And thank you for reading and reviewing.

**Sorcerousfang:** I am so glad you enjoyed it! And that it was sleep-deprivation worthy. (^_^) I hope you continue reading! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

I LOVE that speech too! "Remember who's in your way! And then-AND THEN; do the smart thing. Let someone else try first." (^_^) Squeal worthy. Even if I did like David Tennant better.

**Minirowan :** I'm so glad you liked it! I LOVE Ishigaki's brothers. I'll have to plan an arc just for them. ***sneaky*** Thanks! I am a bit nervous about trying to advance Neuro first. But I think it would be most interesting this way, and Neuro is a possesive person...so I think I could make it work. Maybe he could "marry" for "power". ***evil smile*** Who knows. [don't hold me to that now. It's not a spoiler-just an idea] Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Anonymous:** Why yes, yes it is. (^_^) Thank you for reading and reviewing.

**Teru Kisuke****:**Uwah! Long comment! I love those! Greetings! And yes! They are rather similar! Lol. My means "9 Tailed Fox" [showing off my love of foxes] in Japanese.

Thank you so much! I rarely get commended for my writing style, which I always worry is childish. I'm so glad you liked it! I personally love writing in Kanae's style, and Isigaki's too-tho his is a bit difficult. I got the emotes idea from a text Isigaki sent in the anime. I hope Ishigaki/Todoroki's story turns out well!

I seriously do. Though I'm not sure why. I think Neuro would actually fight it less than Yako. He's just not really built for the idea, but not against it. While Yako would be the other way around. And Neuro's respect [which easily turns to love in humans] only grows with Yako, while Neuro's torture is always keeping Yako non-love focused.

I'm so glad you don't mind the slow pace! I really couldn't write it any other way tho. Neither of them would dare be pushed.

Mysteries are actually a pain to write. You have to have your facts straight and try to keep you clues clear-and realistic. Not an easy task, and it uses up WAY too much brain space. Mysteries I wrote myself are 10x so. So I'm glad someone is enjoying them. (^_^) But since I'm lazy [and I've been watching too much Leverage] I decided to try something a bit different. Hope you like it!

Thank you! She's one of my favorite characters, and my attribute of hers is her childishness. She's fun to play with.

Ahaha. I love long comments. Though they take a while to respond too, they take a while to write too, and it shows mow much you liked my fanfic.

***whispers*finish reading the manga...**

Yeah, as I mentioned I know I spelled it wrong[I do so without thinking, since it's how I hear the word]. It's just too much of a pain to fix it. Sorry for being lazy. (-_-;) Hope it doesn't detract from the writing too much. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

Grey Grapevines**:** Thank you so much for taking the time to review! I'm stealing someone else's words, but it's the life blood of a writer. And since I've been dead for so long, I've needed the boost. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Lunabloodmoon666**** :** I'm so glad it's easy to picture! That is a huge compliment to me! I updated kinda soonish after you last post. Hope you find it! Thank you for reading and reviewing!


	2. Board Set Todoroki

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN. (T^T) *sobs***

**Notes:** Todoroki's POV! Hope you like it!

* * *

This was definitely a bad idea.

Not that my protests had made any difference. Though I was surprised-if annoyed-that the boryokudan creep shared the same sentiments.

I was also upset about something else however.

What exactly had Yako-san gotten herself into? First she's in league with a murderous alien, knew the puzzle seller, and now she's good friends with the General of the North? And it wasn't just her choice of associates that bothered me, but the fact she placed so much trust in them. I'm surprised she's lived as long as she has.

Or is it just me who thinks I know her? Maybe she's the one to be feared. I mean, these are three of the most dangerous people in the city-maybe even the country. And yet they all run to help her when she asks.

No, this is just a young girl we're talking about. Ok, maybe a young woman now, but a kind and good person all the same. It must be the others who are tricking her.

I glanced around the room, feeling a stress headache coming on. Where was Jun-Sempai with some coffee when you needed him?

"And while normally I'd be best to run a long con, we'll just have to make due with what time we have. It's called the Johannesburg Marketplace. So I figure the parrot for the General of the South, and after hearing what Yako had to say, this Ishigaki guy for the east."

Parrot? She must be talking about the alien. Is he parrot like? I noticed the whole room was silent and digested the rest of her sentence. Jun. Like crap!-

And at that instant Usui-san, Yako and myself all began talking at once.

"I really don't think-."

"Are you sure that's a good idea-?"

"No way in heck is Jun-"

"Look. Godai's out because he needs to be the seller, I'm the fencer, and I either don't think the others are trustworthy or won't be able to pull it off."

"What? I am both trust worthy and capable of doing it!" I slammed my fist on the coffee table.

"But you're a woman. So it'd be more dangerous for you, and longer for them to trust you. Yes, it's being sexist, but that's what these people are so we don't have a choice. And the parrot insists on South so Ishigaki it is. Trust me, I know how these people think."

I considered that.

"How do I know you're selling us the puzzle and it's not a double cross?" Usui-san spoke rather coldly.

"Puzzle seller? But I thought little Kira-" The General was shut up by an elbow in his stomach from the puzzle seller herself. I'm surprised by how free these people act with one another. I would think she'd fear to start a war, but the General's glare was only halfhearted, so that didn't seem to be likely.

"You need not worry. I'm doing this for Yako-not you guys."

"Then do you trust this Puzzle Seller?" Usui-san turned towards Yako-san.

"No."

"Yes."

Both Yako-san and the alien spoke at the same time. Yako-san's answer was affirmative, while the alien's was negative.

It made me trust the Puzzle Seller more than anything else had.

.

.

.

To my dismay Jun-Sempai was more than willing to help out.

"I don't really think this is a good ide-" "Don't worry Todoroki-san! I'll be fine!"

This did not make me feel any better.

"I only have five days, so I have to be super focused too~.Dai-otouto said he'd give me a hand as well~. He's so nice!"

I hissed to myself. I was not going to be able to stop him when he's like this.

"Then just be safe ok?"

"Of course~!"

.

.

.

"I swear! It wasn't me!"

Like I'd never heard that before.

Well, I suppose this time it was true though. After all, we'd been the ones to set him up.

It had been three days since the start of this, and I seriously didn't think we could pull it off.

Though, I suppose trust runs deep in the boryokudan, and broken trust is the best growth serum.

The General of the East's second in command had been found dipping into the groups profits and putting them in his own bank account. The reason we were able to arrest him was because of "Tax evasion and embezzlement fraud". A good thing we did too, for if we had arrived five minutes later, Jun-Sampai would have been forced to shoot him.

And word on the street is that "Akira Kiyono" aka Jun-Sempai had been promoted as second in command.

The real Akira Kiyono was currently sitting in a secret high security prison, in solitary confinement under the name of Akira Inoue.

As for the General of the South's second, he had entered the police station nearest his headquarters and confessed to half a dozen crimes that also implicated others in his group. I don't want to know what scared him enough to do that.

And the alien, under the name of "N." [because he refused to take a false name] somehow became second.

I still didn't fully understand how this was supposed to help Yako-san, but according to the Puzzle Seller: "All the queens are in play, and the pawn is just about to enter the game."


	3. White Piece Ishigaki

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Ishigaki's POV

* * *

I was super excited about going undercover! 8(^_^)8

But it's in a boryokudan-I mean ninkyo-dantai, so it's a bit nervous making...(=_=)

I'm sure it'll be fine though! (^_^)

Dai-otouto helped me get some tough looking clothes and gave me some tips! (^-^)d

I forgot them all though, lol lol. (^o^)/

So I decided to just be myself. ('o')

Minus the cop part, lol lol. (^_^)

When I first got there all the people were really mean. (T^T)

So I asked them not to be! (^_^)y

But then they got all mad. (¬_¬")

So I baked them cookies! \(^_^)/

They loved them! (^o^)d

And I found out they were actually really nice! (^_^)

Some of them even loved the same animes as me! Lol, lol. (O.O)

So we decided to watch them together! (#_#)d

But then Todoroki-san called me and told me I had to accuse Tadashi! (;-;)

I had thought he was nice too. (T^T)/

But after I accused him, Oyabun said I had done good! (^o^)

Then he asked if I wanted Tadashi's job! (O.o)

I didn't really want it, but I think Yako-san had asked me to, and all the others in the clan really wanted me to take it. (=_=)

So I did! (^_^)

I started my job by helping everyone in the clan with their complaints! (^_^)

Though Oyabun said I had spent too much money. (¬_¬")

So I decided to help earn more! (^o^)

The other suggested we go "tax collecting" but that sounded boring, so I suggested a bake sale instead. (^_^)d

A lot of people came! \(^o^)/

And everyone were really good at selling things! They always sold so much when they went to talk to a customer! (o.o)

I need to get even better at my baking and selling to catch up! (*-*)


	4. Black Piece Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: Neuro's POV. Note to Nomaen at end.**

* * *

I rather fitting role for me, if I do say so myself.

If only there was a mystery in the mix, it would be truly perfect.

The police even had the gull to ask me if I needed help with this-as if I would have trouble intimidating humans.

All that was required was a show of my skill set. A very small show at that.

Walking into the most "dangerous" part of town and bumping into the smelliest vermin there was enough to get an audience.

And after easily flooring six of them, it ingrained enough fear into the one left to send him running.

By the end of the day-and twenty goons later-I had an interview with the top slug himself.

"So, you're the man who has generated so much...talk among my men. Now,if I may ask, what group do you belong to?"

I rather enjoy these rare times when I can just be myself. I had been "briefed" that my "usually kind personality" wouldn't go over to well here. I had to suppress a smile at how easily humans were fooled.

Though, in my current setting, I don't suppose I needed to stop it after all.

My smile was far from innocent however. "Unfortunately I haven't had the _privilege_ of aligning myself with any group in particular."

Most of the vermin jumped at my smile, but I noticed the top slug and the vermin guarding him weren't so easily frightened.

"Then why exactly did you attack my men?" The tops slug's voice didn't sound as friendly as before.

"I didn't. It was merely...self defense that might have gone a bit over board. But is there really such a thing when it comes to personal safety?" I kept my eyes locked onto the tops slug's, and the vermin guarding him reached for their guns. Pathetic fools.

The top slug was smiling however. "I can't say I disagree with you there. Tell me then, what's your name?"

"I just mentioned personal safety is so important to me, and the leader of a group of Yakuza wants to know my name? Why would I give you information that might make my life difficult in the future?"

There was a pause and general shock that I refused to answer a direct question from the top slug himself.

"So, you won't tell me?" The top slug said very softly.

"No." I smiled back. "If you must call me something, I suppose 'N' may do."

*Cheh* The sound resounded through the room. "Stop the arrogant fool from ever speaking another word!"

While the worms in the back stood frozen at this command, the slugs near the top slug quickly pulled out their guns and opened fire.

A shame, really, for they ended up hitting some of their own worm teammates as I dodged the bullets. I had to be annoyingly careful to barely dodge them as well. It would be bothersome if they realized just how strong I really was.

I straightened as the gun firing ceased.

"You're more then you seem I see." The top slug smiled an unpleasant grin. "How would you like to join the Emperor of the South's group?"

I held back my distain. An ant that other ants make a general tries to make itself an emperor. How sickened that ant would be if he knew he had met a real aristocrat.

.

.

.

"_I can't believe the Emperor let him get away with it!"_

"_And asked him to join too!"_

_"What's worse is the fact the Emperor made the creep a __shateigashira before going through the sake ritual!"_

"_At least you guys aren't under hi-"_

"**Hello."**

My arrival quickly silenced their whispers.

"**And, pray tell, what is so bad about being my underling?"**

A cold sweat broke out on the three worm's foreheads, and I smiled at their slight trembling.

"N-nothing at all N-sama! P-please excuse us for blocking your path!" The three disappeared as quickly as their pathetic limbs could carry them.

Such a delightful place this Yakuza headquarters is. It's almost a shame to completely ruin it.

"N." The clear voice of one of the slugs who was supposed to be "over" me traveled down the hallway to me. How bothersome.

"Yes sir?" I forced a somewhat non-threatening smile. Though not as non-threatening as thought, seeing the slug's reaction.

"The Emperor wanted you to know he's planning a feast for your enjoyment this afternoon. He said he's expecting great things from you in this organization."

So he expected me to make a great pawn then.

"Tell him I am truly flattered, and he needs not do such a thing for the likes of me." It would be annoy as heck and I wouldn't be able to eat anything this slug brains cooked up anyway. Not to mention they didn't even know my dietary needs.

"He insists. Dinner will be at six."

I hissed to myself as he left. I knew I only had a few days to make a mark here, and I hated the thought that a whole evening would be wasted because of the worm who wanted to be king.

.

.

.

"Wonderful! Isn't it?" The worm [abbr] king smiled brightly as he downed his fifth glass of sake and hugged two women plastered on either side of him.

I forced a smile as I accepted the fourth sake glass I'd been poured and considered how to dump it out. The female worm smoothered against my arm was making it more difficult to so discreetly, as well as getting germs all over my sleeve.

This was definitely one of the most difficult things I had ever had to do in this world. I'd rather have been shot any day. At times like this I truly missed Yako being there to get me out of these types of situations. She always seemed to know what words to say to get the right reactions from worms such as these.

"It certainly is." I said with what I hoped sounded at least a little sincere.

"_Why is the Emperor showing HIM so much favor?"_

"_The Emperor even gave him the prettiest girl!"_

"_He's drunken how many glasses of sake now? And he doesn't look the least bit drunk!"_

The worms here really did enjoy gossiping didn't they? A glare in their direction quickly silenced them.

"May may, you certainly know how to deal with small fry don't you." The worm [abbr] king said with a chuckle.

I smiled back.

Yes, I certainly did.

.

.

.

After a quick patrol of the area and a little investigating on the Yakuza business front, I finally went to the room I had been assigned. A private room, which had gotten a lot of glares from the worms who did not have the same.

I was very careful to check the door for booby-traps, since I had already had a few worms try to knife me. To their horror they were unsuccessful.

So I wasn't completely surprised to find there were none. I believed I had made my point about just how scary I could be. The worms who were supposed to be the same level as me had taken to calling me 'sama' and even a few above were doing the same.

What I _was_ surprised about however, was to find the female worm from dinner sitting on my bed waiting for me.

"N-sama." She bowed so low her forehead touched the ground. "Yoroshiku onegaishimasu."

*Cheh* I guess it wasn't a private room after all. Perhaps I had misunderstood the worm that had showed me around.

I tried to hide my annoyance as a searched my brain for her name. "Ayame." A smile and nod would be sufficient here right?

I changed into the robe I'd been given [in the bathroom like Yako had told me to do instead of in front of others] and came back out to find the female worm in the same kneeling position I had left her in.

I considered what to do before finally just getting into the bed. If the worm wanted to sleep that way it was none of my business.

However the covers lifted on the other side as she gave up her praying ritual to go to sleep as well.

"N-sama?" The female abruptly stuck her fingers in my hair and pulled lightly to turn my head.

To my surprise she wasn't wearing any clothing. I had never once seen Yako sleep nude, but suppose Yakuza women were different.

"What is it?" My cold stare seemed to take her aback. "Um, tonight…"

Her long pause made me sigh. "It's going to be a long day tomorrow. I would prefer if you not bother me or interrupt my sleep."

Her eyes widened and she pulled her hand back in surprise. "Y-yes sir."

Annoying worm.

.

.

.

For the next couple days I was careful to be as scary and 'helpful' around others as I could without arising suspicion. Needless to say, the assassination attempts stopped, and worms seemed to disappear when I walked down hallways.

The icing on the cake was when I reported to the worm [abbr] king I thought one of his worm aides was about to turn on him. I was quickly rebuked, for this particular worm was "as loyal as a well fed dog". A rebuke I had to grind my teeth through just to keep me from killing the worm who dared criticize me. And thus I…_asked_ the "loyal" worm to turn over any big crimes he had done to the police-for you see, when, no _if _he got out of jail I was going to pay him another visit.

The entire clan was shocked at the development, when the "loyal" worm went to do so. Assuming the worm had gone to tattle on the group as I planned. The top slug was, of course, impressed with me; remembering how I had warned him of such.

"You seem to be fitting in here nicely." His smile was genuine. "I definitely see a future for you here."

I smiled back. Not quite so genuinely as him, but he didn't need to know that. "Why thank you. I look forward to the future then."

"It may be sooner than you think. Rumor has it in these past few days you have made quite a name for yourself among my men. I'm considering giving you the traitor's position as reward for warning me of his betrayal. But, you see, I need proof of your loyalty first."

He held up an envelope.

"I need you to get me one Yako Katsuragi."

* * *

**Nomaen:** Thank you! *hug back* Lol. For you I suppose xP Though I did miss being here and hearing from my readers (^_^)

Nope, this will not be the final arc. I still have the kidnapping dude to deal with, as well as a few other loose ends. There will be at least three more arcs I figure.

Yeah, Todoroki can't really help it. She's the straight-man of the group though, so it's how most people would view the situation no doubt.

Ahahaha, yep. He's oblivious to bad things is how I would put it. Though that's what people tend to find endearing about him, since he seems to think the best of them no matter what.

Nah, he's not the type to be tough. You'll have to see about his character development later tho.

Nope, look forward to more (^_^) Aahahahaha. Tis what you get xP


	5. Envelope

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own MTNN.**

**Notes:**** Sorry for the wait. I haven't slept in three days. Too busy. -_-**

** -Contents of the Envelope-**

* * *

**General of the South**

**You are invited to attend a ****Johannesburg Marketplace**** Auction.**

**.**

**Information is as follows.**

**.**

**Item: Yako Katsuragi**

**.**

**Place: Warehouse 13**

**.**

**Date and Time: **/**/** 3:00pm**

**.**

**Details: You will only be allowed two representatives. Masks are suggested and weapons prohibited. If these conditions are not met, the auction will be dissolved and you will not be informed of the next one. The ITEM will be off grounds, and it's location given after the money for it is received. Bidding starts at 10million yen.**

* * *

**Anon: Thank you! And thanks for reading and reviewing!**


	6. Queen on Color Todoroki

**Disclaimer: I Don't own MTNN**

**Notes:**** Todoroki's POV**

* * *

I took a deep breath to steady my nerves.

I felt naked without my gun, and I was heading into a den of wolves.

Though I suppose I wasn't going alone. Usui-san did look rather frightening in his suit and sunglasses, but I knew from past experiences he wasn't the fighting type. I'd rather have my gun.

I opened the door and walked in.

A dozen or so people wearing either masks or sun glasses turned to watch Usui-san and I enter the room. I spotted Jun-Sempai right away, but didn't see the alien yet. Jun-Sempai looked totally different, with a much more serious expression than he normally had on his face. How rare to see him like that. Though smiling really does suit him best.

The chairs were in groups of two, and I chose the one that was closest to the middle. A murmuring went through the room as those there tried to guess what faction we were from.

*WHAM*

The door slammed open and the alien sauntered through like he owned the place. It was easy to tell it was him despite the suspiciously intricate black mask he wore. He was followed closely by whom I guessed was the General of the South's second in command right now, and who wore a simple pair of sunglasses.

Those the alien passed immediately went into a defensive stance. Even a sheep with the skin of **a tiger **is afraid of the wolf.

"Welcome! Welcome!" A loud and chipper voice spoke from the front of the room. "Thank you all SO much for coming on to this glorious auction!"

The Puzzle Seller didn't have a mask on, but instead wore face paint that completely covered her face, and a top hat lowered slightly to make her eyes more shaded. "I'm your Ringmaster for this evening, and with me is my esteemed patron-you all know him!-the General of the North, Shinobu-sama!"

The Puzzle Seller clapped by herself as The General walked onto the stage, with absolutely no disguise too, merely wearing a fancier suit. Figures.

"My now! My esteemed patron has been so kind as to give you all a chance at buying such an amazing one of a kind item and you dare not show your appreciation?" The corners of the Puzzle Seller's too big smile turned abruptly down. "**How rude!**" The crowd rippled in surprise, and a polite clapping followed, turning the Puzzle Seller's frown back into a smile.

"Why thank you! Now, let's cut to the chase shall we? You all came to bid on the ITEM right? Well take a good look then!" A press of a button dropped down a large flat screen T.V. With Yako-san tied up and blindfolded on it. The group's whispering grew into a loud roar.

"What? You didn't think we'd have the goods?" The Puzzle Seller smiled. "I assure you, we meant what we said. So, now, who wants to start the bidding?"

There was a loud uproar as numbers and names were instantly yelled from the seats. The alien took this opportunity to whisper something into Jun-Sempai's ear. Jun-Sempai responded in turn and the alien rose his arm lazily [it easily-and oddly-reached over the hands of those around him]. "**One Billion Yen.**"

The noise stopped as all turned to him dumbfounded at the extravagant amount.

The Puzzler Seller grinned from ear to ear. "I hear One Billion Yen! Anyone go for One and a half? Any one?" The room was silent. "No takers huh? Too rich for you? One and a quarter?" Obviously no one had that much to spend. "Sold! To the tall man with bad fashion sense!" The alien twitched slightly at that, but kept the smile on his face. Ah, that had bothered him.

"Thank you all for coming today! Hope to see you next time~!"

"LIKE I'M REALLY JUST GOIN TO LEAVE!" One of the biggest of the group stood up and approached the Puzzle Seller menacingly. "I CAME HERE FOR THE PIGGISH DETECTIVE, AND I'M GONNA GET ME ONE PIGGISH DETECTIVE!" He grabbed her by the top of her dress, and started to lift her up when The General grabbed him arm.

"**This is my bloody show, and unless you want it to turn really bloody, I suggest you leave quietly. Understood?**" The man wavered slightly, and when he backed away, all could see why. The jade knife in The General's hand dripped lightly with blood. Slowly the majority of the group backed out of the room, Usui-san and I following last, leaving just the alien, Jun-Sempai and those that came with them.


	7. Place a Pawn Yako

**Disclaimer: MTNN**

**Notes: Yako's POV**

* * *

Even if you know perfectly well you're perfectly safe, being blindfolded and tied up is still extremely scary. And if I was scared-even though I knew I was surrounded by police officers-it made me more than a little nervous about being in the hands of the Yakuza.

The darkness and silence of the room made me squirm slightly.

I really should have a hobby or something. Something-anything-to think about at times like these. It was bringing back unpleasant memories from when I was blind.

Well, the only thing I had to think about was people. I hoped the cops still trusted me after learning about Godai. Not to mention how mad Godai must be for me to have brought cops into his HQ. I had a lot of apologizing to do. Thanks a lot Neuro and Kira. They weren't the type to think about my reputation. And Neuro wouldn't really care anyway.

I was curious about how Neuro and IShigaki-san were doing in their respective posts. Neuro would be fine with the Yakuza part of the job I knew , but I wondered how he would do on being around people 24/7.

Ishigaki-san on the other hand, would be perfectly fine with people. He was an odd type that seemed to draw other odd types toward him, and the Yakuza was full of those. But I wondered how he would do with the Yakuza part of the job. He wasn't the type to shake people down for money.

The past few days had been a mix of relaxing and boring without Neuro, and-

I was jolted out of my thoughts by the door opening. I was informed by a rather young sounded voice my police protect was leaving. How comforting to know.

And then I was left in silence.

.

.

.

It was thirty minutes before the door opened again, and I tensed, not knowing who it was.

"Well, it looks like the General of the North held up to his end of the bargain. I was immensely relieved to hear Neuro's voice.

I tried to hide my relief by shivering. The floor was cold, but I could use that to simulate fear.

"She's shaking like a leaf. Poor thing." A voice I didn't recognize, and an unfamiliar hand brushed the side of my face, giving me a brief flash back to my previous kidnapping experience. I was glad I was wearing a blindfold to hide my glare.

I was taken completely by surprise however, at the kick that hit my stomach at full force. My back hit the wall and I gasped for breath. Coughing, I tried to keep my nausea that threatened to break free.

"Now now, no harming the merchandise." Neuro's voice again.

"Let's move her to neutral ground shall we? To invite both of our bosses and discuss what to do with her." Ishigak-san spoke this time.

"Agreed." The voice was the same one I didn't know from before, but I did recognize the hands that touched me this time. Neuro. He lightly felt my stomach where I had been kicked before picking me up from my shoulders and legs, careful not to put pressure on my stomach.

It probably looked like he was being rough with me since my knees hit about every door frame, and I was thrown into the back seat. But my head hit cushion instead of the door, and he didn't even slam the door on my feet. He was being surprisingly gentle. For Neuro.

.

.

.

The two generals apparently had better things to do then check on acquired merchandise, for from the conversations I overheard it seemed like they wouldn't be coming to see me today. I cringed as I listened. I had the bad feeling I wasn't getting any food until I left this place. Though I felt much calmer now, than I had been with the cops, to my surprise. I had a feeling it had to do with knowing Neuro wasn't letting me out of his sight.

I jerked as unfamiliar hands pulled my bindings and blindfold off. I was laying in what looked a bit like a very large dog cage that took up half the room. Four other people were on the other side of the locked cage door. Neuro, Ishigaki-san, a large man with a goatee, and a very skinny man whose face looked as sharp as a knife.

"Hello." I had been told to act as I normally would, and so I did.

"Hello Miss Detective." Neuro's face and tone of voice made me jump slightly. I wasn't used to the face he showed me, full of contempt and superiority. I had seen him use it on other before, but not to me. Not for a long time.

"Look at her jump." Knife spoke with the same sharpness as his face, and I recognized him as the one who had spoken earlier. And he was probably the person who kicked me.

Neuro smiled a thoroughly evil smile. "I'm sure Miss Detective will feel much _calmer_ after our bosses are through with her." A unanimously evil chuckle spread through the group. I knew it was easy for Neuro to act evil. Heck, maybe he wasn't acting at all. But I was incredibly impressed by Ishigaki-san. He was defiantly amazing at selling his part.

"No reason for us all to stay here. Shall we take shifts?" Goatee spoke for the first time.

"An excellent idea. I'll take first." Neuro was quick to speak up. "If you want." Ishigaki-san yawned as he turned to walk out of the room. What would you guys like to eat?" The other two followed him, discussing lunch ideas. Neuro's 'greater than tho' attitude left with them, making me much more relaxed to be left with the same old Neuro.

"How has being a Yakuza been for you?" I smiled for the first time since I'd been blindfolded this morning. "Completely boring louse. It made me feel like the humans I usually deal with had the brains of hamsters."

That was a high compliment coming from Neuro.

I smiled as I pulled up my shirt to reveal my stomach. My smile quickly faded as I glared down at what was definitely turning into a bruise.

"Is your stomach damaged louse?" Neuro's eyes glanced at my reaction sharply. He knew how much a stomach could mean to a person.

"Just bruised. It'll hurt a bit, but won't affect my eating too much." I added the last part because that's what I was considered about.

Neuro stretched before sitting down with his back leaning against the wall. "Humans are truly confusing. I don't see what purpose kicking you had. You weren't exactly a threat."

I rubbed my stomach as I sat down with my back leaning against the same wall as Neuro. Funny how a person who gets so much pleasure out of causing others pain didn't understand a human who wanted to do the same.

"He just liked feeling superior." I was careful to pick my words, even though I knew the reason would be the same as Neuro's.

Neuro glanced at me out of the corner of his eye but said nothing.

I looked up at the ceiling with my head against the wall. "So, how is the plan goin-" I was interrupted by the door being thrown open, causing me to start. Neuro was instantly standing with his back against the wall and looking bored, as if he had been doing that all along.

"N-sama~!" A completely beautiful and well endowed woman burst in looking extremely happy. She was also wearing little more than her smile I noted.

Neuro- N-sama I'm guessing-looked less than thrilled, and I watched his fingers dig into the stones behind him. Something no human could do, and I hoped wouldn't be noticed.

"Ayame." So apparently Neuro knew her. Ayame-san immediately latched onto his arm, and I could see why Neuro wasn't pleased to see her. He wasn't a big 'physical contact' type. Unless he's causing one pain of course.

"Emperor-sama was so pleased with you! Not only did you acquire the pig," I was looked at with distain as she said this, "but you also made sure an alliance would form between Emperor-sama and the General of the East! You even found out who was holding the action! You're amazing!"

Neuro did not look pleased at this praise. Instead, he endeavored to remove Ayame-san's arm from his. "Thank you for the update. You may leave."

"Uwah~! As cold as always~!" Ayame-san wasn't deterred. "I'll have a surprise waiting for you when you get off your shift~." She tugged lightly at Neuro's tie and moved her face a few inches from Neuro's. "Look~Forward~to~it." And she sauntered out of the room.

I could feel my face burning from the intimate display, but as soon as the door slammed Neuro's stone face turned into an annoyed frown. "Annoying grub." He sat back down. "To answer your question, the plan is going very-" He stopped as he turned to look at me, noticing my red face.

"Was what she did impolite?" I had to stop to think about that for a second. Impolite? Oh. Neuro thought humans turned red from impoliteness and embarrassment. Should I correct that thought? …too much effort. "It was impolite to me, not you." This got Neuro's full attention. "How was it impolite to you?"

I scratched the side of my head as I tried to think of a response to this. "Well, maybe more embarrassing? It's just not really polite to others in the room to be so flirty."

Neuro considered that. He pause was so long I continued. "Being flirty means making advances on you." Kinda.

"She was asking me to be her mate." I turned slightly redder at this, but at least he got it. Kind of anyway. I wasn't sure if in Neuro's book exactly what "being a mate" meant, but he had a good enough idea at the general meaning.

Neuro sighed, not knowing my thoughts and not noticing my deeper red color. "How annoying these female humans are. I suppose she was being flirty last night too."

I paused at this. "Last night?" Neuro leaned his head back against the wall and turned to me. "She was hugging my arm just like that before, both at dinner and before sleep."

Before sleep? He didn't mean…"Did she sleep in the same room as you?" I asked cautiously. "Unfortunately. Even the same bed. Ah!" He sat up straighter. "I had meant to ask you why you don't sleep without clothes as well. Surely it would be less bothersome then changing every night just to change back into your day clothes." I tried very hard to stay calm. "Neuro, was she holding your arm when she wasn't wearing clothes." Neuro looked puzzled. "Yes, why?" Just hold back a little longer. "And what did you do?" Neuro's puzzled look deepened. "I asked her not to bother me so I could sleep."

At that I burst out laughing. I tried to keep it as quiet as possible, but it ended up choking me more than anything. Neuro looked completely shocked, which only made me laugh harder.

"What's so funny louse?" He was starting to get a bit angry, probably thinking I was laughing at him. I gasped for breath.

"That poor girl!" However my concern was not at all convincing as my sides shook. "She was trying to sleep with you! Not flirt!" I was drowning in my laughter again, and remembering the disdainful look she gave me, I didn't feel the least bit remorseful.

I choked slightly on a laugh as Neuro's hand ripped through the bars and grabbed me by the top of my head. "**And why exactly is that so funny?**" He still thought I was laughing at him I see. I wiped the tears from my eyes as my laughter got weaker. "The fact that she tried so hard but you couldn't care less. She's probably the type that's used to men hanging all over her, so she's thinking you're playing coy when you really just don't give a crap!" I was still chuckling. Hey, I'd been through a pretty boring few days, and this just hit my funny bone.

"You're awesome Neuro!" Neuro's annoyance had been growing and growing as I had spoke [proof of which was his grip tightening], but at this last statement he let go of me entirely. He continued to watch me rein in my laughter, and considered what I said.

"Of course I am." He seemed to have regained his calm. "Though you choose a very odd time to point it out."

I laughed even louder at that, leaving Neuro to wonder what exactly he did that I found so amuzing.


	8. Move the Pawn, Remove a Queen Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: A new chapter to celebrate 400 hits! ...Neuro's POV. Review please (^-^) Note to little-miss-sugar-less at bottom**

* * *

I glared at the slug as he passed me. As much as Yako assured me her stomach was perfectly fine, I couldn't shake the anger that followed me.

Careless. I had been truely careless. What would I have done if she had been damaged because I wasn't paying attention? Yako would never forgive me if her stomach had been broken. I wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. I leaned against the door I had shut behind me, listening to every word and breath in the room.

"Your turn huh?" Yako sounded bored. "What, this hasn't been a very entertaining experience for you?" The slug's voice dripped with sarcasm. "I've been kidnapped too many times to find it entertaining anymore." Yako took in a deep breath. A yawn perhaps.

"We'll just have to be careful to keep you on your toes then. A shame you're so plain. We could have a lot of fun with you if you were prettier." I felt my claws grip the door knob with this threat.

Yako laughed dryly. "Don't worry about it. I prefer my kidnappings as boring as possible anyway. If you're truly bored we can play Word Endings." "Hmph. What a childish suggestion." "And it is precisely because I am childish that I'll beat you." There was silence for a second. "Fine. I'll start. The category is weapons. Bazooka." "Hmm...Axe." "Explosives."

I never ceased to be amazed at how Yako could always say just the right things to get just the right reaction from these slugs. While I had been struggling just to understand the idiots, Yako not only could translate their garble into actual sentences, she knew what response would get the best reaction from them.

I smiled to myself. Yako was used to much smarter foes then these. Those maggots were no match for her. The only way to deal with Yako was to keep her from talking. For once she started to speak, she immediately began controlling their maggot thoughts. A truly rare gift.

"Here you go N-sama." Ishigaki came up to me and handed me a paper cup. I smiled in response. "Thank you." To my surprise however, the cup was only filled a quarter of the way. So Ishigaki had noticed I don't eat when the others do.

"How is Yako-san doing?" Ishigaki asked this question in a voice to low for the fat slug in the same room o hear. "She's turning yellow and purple." I listened through the door again.

"Revolver." "Rifle" Still playing I see.

"Oh. It'll probably leave one nasty bruise if it's already changing color. She must have an iron stomach to keep her food down after a kick like that." Obviously. The strongest muscle in Yako's body is an unclear fight between her stomach and brain. I have a feeling her stomach wins a lot of those fights.

"You must have been pretty worried. I haven't seen you this jittery in a while." This day was truly full of surprises. Though I had learned by now Ishigaki often was smarter than he seemed. He suddenly grabbed my arm in apparent excitement. "Hey, wanna get revenge on that jerk?"

This interested me. I had never heard Ishigaki speak an unkind word about a person, let alone suggest an evil plan. Perhaps we could wait until the slug slept and peel his skin off one layer at a time. "What did you have in mind?"

.

.

.

This was not the most brilliant revenge plan in the world. It was below toddler level to put it nicely. But Ishigaki wouldn't be dissuaded to use any other plan, insisting that "pay back stomach for stomach".

All I had to do in this plan was talk to the female slug who amused Yako so much. A bothersome and boring plan to say the least. The female was more than happy to do me a favor, and came back within five minutes to tell me she had done as she asked. It took another twenty minutes to get rid of her. Ishigaki came a few minutes later to report all was according to plan.

.

.

.

Three hours later the fat slug came out of the dungeon room [as it Ishigaki had taken to calling it] yelling his pathetic brains out. "WHERE IS NAIFU? WHERE IS THE DETECTIVE?"

A quick search of the grounds found "Naifu" in the nearest bathroom. Apparently the slug had come down with some kind of ailment that stops one from holding his fecal matter. A doctor was called and so were two bosses to let each of them know their five hundred million dollar purchase had run away. Needless to say they were not happy. I took my leave as they entered the bathroom door. Perhaps this revenge wasn't so bad after all.

Ishigaki smiled and held up a thumb as I walked by him. I was surprised he had managed to keep anything a secret.

Heading to my room I had to dodge the female slug and had to nod at those who were searching the grounds for Yako. They stopped to bow as I passed by. Once I'd entered the room I locked the door behind me and flung open the bottom dresser drawer. "**You can come out now louse.**"

Yako sat up while rubbing her neck. "I'm going to get a crick in my neck!" Always complaining. I was kind enough to massage it for her as I threw her across the room. "That's the least of your worries. The entire group is looking for you. They won't dare enter here though." I laid down on the bed. Yako got up from her comfortable position as a splat on the wall and laid down next to me.

"Why couldn't you just get me out of here in the first place?" She sighed and starting rubbing her stomach. Perhaps it still hurt. "Because a human couldn't do it, and Ishigaki was the one who decided to take you out of the cage at the last minute, and he was the one who hid you. It seems he thought this would be the safest place for you."

Yako shrugged. "Whatever. I'm just glad to be out of that cold cell." She was interrupted by the sound of her stomach growling. She sat up.

"Neuro."

"No louse."

"_Please!_ I'm starving!" The girl had obviously never known real hunger. I hadn't eaten in three days. Why should she get to fill her stomach?

"I said **no** louse."

"My stomach already hurts so much! Hunger is making it even worse!" I considered that. Perhaps her stomach needed food to heal properly?

"Fine. Just one sandwich louse. And you're to stay in here until I return. **Is that understood?**"

"Yes!" Her pleading face quickly transformed into a happy one. I grabbed it with my claws. "It looks as if you don't need any food. You're happy enough with just the idea of it." Her smile quickly disappeared. "P-please! Neuro!" I sighed. "**Stay.**" And I walked out the window.

.

.

.

The three sandwiches I gave her disappeared quicker than it took the lackey I found in the kitchen to make them. The entire bottle of soda disappeared with a similar speed.

"Better now louse?"

Yako burped rather loudly. "A little. I'm still hungry but I'll be okay for now."

I rolled my eyes over the sound of my own stomach rumbling. I hadn't even eaten a Sudoku today.

Yako squirmed slightly next to me. "What is it worm?"

"I feel kinda bad."

"Your stomach?" This worried me. Perhaps it had been broken after all.

"No. You haven't eaten all day have you?"

I glanced at her. "No."

She squirmed again. "I feel kinda guilty for eating when you go hungry." I smiled at that. Of course the pig would understand the horror of going hungry. Though it was rare for her to think of me doing so.

"Well you don't exactly have a puzzle on you now do you?" She squirmed again. My smiled stayed as I noted her discomfort. Suddenly her face lit up. "It may be a bit small for you, but how about a riddle?"

"A riddle?"

Yako turned to me with big eyes. "Haven't you ever heard a riddle before? It's kinda like a mini mystery." I snorted. "Of course I've heard of a riddle before louse. I was just amused you thought you'd know a difficult enough one for it to be of any substance."

"Well, I can try at least. I'll give you three right off the bat.

**It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,  
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt.  
It lies behind stars and under hills,  
And empty holes it fills.  
It comes first and follows after,  
Ends life, kills laughter. **

**What am I?**

**.**

**Alive without breath,  
As cold as death;  
Never thirsty, ever drinking,  
All in mail never clinking.**

**What am I?**

**.**

**In marble walls as white as milk,  
Lined with a skin as smooth as silk,  
Within a fountain color clear.  
A golden sphere doth there appear.  
No doors are found in this stronghold,  
Yet thieves break in and steal the gold. **

**What am I?**

* * *

**Notes 2: Anyone wanna guess?**

**Little-miss-sugar-less: Thank you so much for continuing to read! Hope you're enjoying the story! Thank you for reading and reviewing!**


	9. Check Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN.**

**Notes: ****Yako's POV. Answer to riddles at bottom, as well as a note to ****starkeeper6**** . If anyone has any riddles for me let me know! I love them! **

* * *

I made a mental note to research more riddles later. The ones I knew were only medium difficulty at best, and obviously hadn't been much food to Neuro. Though he seemed pleased that I tried so hard to find one that would stump him.

I didn't find one.

Shutting my eyes I sighed as I laid back down on the bed. It was rather comfortable, and a king sized one at that. Neuro must be really respected around here. I glanced over at him. His head was turned towards me, which didn't surprise me. He was definitely bored, and he lacked human delicacy which stops most people from staring. Thankfully I had gotten used to it by now.

"It's rare for you to lay on the bed instead of the ceiling." I commented. Neuro chortled. "That's because a certain piggy is always hogging the bed. If you like, you can have the ceiling next time." I could already see myself duct taped up there. "No thanks. Why don't you just sleep in your own bed? You could borrow my mom's when she's not home." A yawn. "Because I'd much rather torment you then sleep on a cotton filled bag."

This statement was followed by Neuro grabbing my face and holding a sharpie dangerously close to it. "I suppose I could doodle to pass the time." I was fighting to keep the marker away from my face when someone knocked on the door. Neuro tensed, only having time to draw a turd on my forehead before shoving me under the bed.

"Who is it?"

"N-sama? It's Ayame." Neuro muttered something in a language I didn't recognize. Which was really surprising considering I spoke seven different languages, and had a basic understanding of half a dozen others.

"What is it you want?"

"To talk to you~." I had to give Ayame-san props for being to hard to deter. "Well I have nothing to talk to you about, so you may leave." I almost felt bed for Ayame-san. She was trying so hard. Then I thought about the face she made as she called me "the pig" and I didn't feel so bad anymore.

"N-sama~. Please. I have a message from Emperor-sama." I glanced out from under the bed skirt to see Neuro considering this. With a look of distaste he unlocked the door. I quickly ducked back under the bed.

"Yay~!" Ayame-san must have been wearing heels, for her footsteps echoed in the room. "What is the message?" Neuro didn't sound nearly as thrilled as Ayame-san did. The bed creaked above me and I froze at the sound. Peeking out from the crack in the skirt, I could see Neuro's shoes about three feet away. It must be Ayame-san sitting on the bed then.

"Emperor-sama said that the pig girl's disappearance must have been an inside job, and he wants you to try to scare the culprit into confessing at dinner tonight. He's going to bring the whole family here for dinner, and it'll make the perfect opportunity to weed out some who he thinks are conspirators. I think the General of the East was going to do the same. Take out the trash all in one go so to speak." The bed creaked more as Ayame-san shifted on it. "After which you'll no doubt be second in command."

Neuro didn't sound moved by this. "Thank you for the update. You may leave now."

A high pitched chuckle came from above me. "You have no reason to be so modest N-sama. You're about to become one of the most powerful men in the country. Exciting isn't it?" There was no response from Neuro. He no doubt already thought he was the most powerful person in the country, probably even the world. There's no way he would have been pleased with such a low view of himself.

"Such a powerful man as yourself no doubt needs some one to take care of his...needs. Wouldn't you say?" More creaking in the bed. I was already embarrassed to death at being privy to this conversation, I didn't want to know what Ayame-san was doing on the bed.

"And what sort of needs do you think I need help with?" Don't ask you idiot! Just get her to leave! Finally getting a response out of Neuro seemed to please Ayame-san though. "Well, you don't seem to get along well with huge groups of people. Perhaps you need a liaison to your underlings, so you don't have to deal with such troublesome things. Not to mention, of course, your...physical needs."

Neuro's footsteps approached the bed, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "And you propose to take care of those needs for me?" Ayame-san practically purred. "I would be honored to~." She suddenly and simultaneously gasped and squeaked.

"**A worm like you dares make such an assumption? I already have a human liaison, and an idiot slug like you can't even compare.**" Neuro's voice sounded like it could melt metal, and if I wasn't used to it I would have been scared to death-even though it wasn't aimed at me. Ayame-san didn't have the tolerance I had built up, and Neuro was no doubt right in her face. She was making a noise that sounded something like a mouse caught in a cat's claws. "**And my physical needs? You don't even know my favorite food, nor how important that food is to me. Why would I want a disgusting botfly like you to be anywhere near me? I've tolerated you long enough. **_**Get out of my sight.**_"

I don't think her feet touched the ground as she bolted out the door, and Neuro shut and locked it behind her. "You can come out now louse." I wiggled out from under the bed.

"That was really cruel Neuro." I brushed off the dust bunnies that were stuck to my shirt.

Neuro didn't seem affected by this statement. "The isopod was the cruel one for even suggesting she was anywhere close to being a match for me." I don't think Neuro completely understood the definition of cruel.

I sighed. What's done is done. At least Neuro wouldn't blow his cover since he was supposed to be acting as a cruel yakuza.

Neuro sat back down on the bed, crinkling his nose as he did so. "Now the room smells of worm sweat and waste matter." I stopped brushing off my shirt to look at Neuro. "You made her pee all over the bed?" Just great. Neuro rolled his eyes. "No, just herself it seems. The scent is so strong it fills the room however." Well, if Neuro was sitting on the bed, it must be true. I sat down next to him.

I thought back over their conversation, and a smile came to my face. "An idiot slug like her can't even compare to me huh?" Neuro glanced at me before falling backwards onto the bed. "Of course louse. How could some ordinary human possibly compare to the human I trained?"

I rolled my eyes and fell backwards myself. "So in the end it all comes down to you in again huh?" Neuro turned to me and smiled. "Of course."

.

.

.

I must have fallen asleep, because I was rudely awakened by slamming into the wall.

"Neuro!" I sat up and rubbed my head. Well, at least I had gained a very strong neck from all the wake up calls I'd been given over the years. Checking my phone, [which Neuro had retrieved for me] I saw it was almost six thirty. I also had about seventy text messages. All the news stations were broadcasting my kidnapping, and just about every person I had ever exchanged numbers with was texting me. The only exceptions were the police, Godai, Kira and my mother; all of whom had either been part of or informed of the plan from the start.

I looked back up at Neuro.

"Show time louse." Neuro had his blank grin plastered across his face.

* * *

**Notes2:**** Riddle answers:**

**1:** _Darkness_

**2: **_Fish_

**3: ** _An egg_

**starkeeper6: ****Thank you so much for deciding to read my story! Thank you so much for reviewing too! It make me motivated to write more! You were right about the fish. (^_-) Have you heard the riddle before or did you guess? Either way, congratz! You get a chapter as a prize. \(^o^)/ I hope you continue reading!**


	10. Checkmate Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** Neuro's POV. Note to Anon at end.

* * *

An unremarkably unextravagant display.

I was expecting something much more amusing, considering I had been told the top slug was pulling out all the stops for the dinner tonight. However the atmosphere was loud and obnoxious, the room smelled of amoeba sweat, and I was uninterested in the food and drink.

Not to mention there wasn't anything that resembled a puzzle in sight. Unless the human's haircuts counted. And the "entertainment" was apparently badly dressed woman who smelled of flowers and dead deer.

The same female worm from earlier was assigned to me. Her hands shook horribly as she poured my drink, and she was very careful not to make eye contact as she handed the drink to me. Gutless maggot.

The top slug was sitting next to me, and he seemed to be unable to stop smiling. "You're truly a blessing to this group I'll have you know."

I tried to look pleased.

I found the longer I kept up this compliant facade the harder it was to maintain. It was always so much easier with Yako in tow. She would make sure to smooth over any issues humans seemed to have with me. Without her I had to be particularly careful about my actions. Thankfully, the top slug seemed to find everything I did amusing.

"I also see you know how to keep your women in check." He quaffed more of his drink while leering at the female worm. She cowered slightly. I glanced at the females surrounding him. They did seem to have a forced air about them.

I smiled politely. If he wanted such an easily frightened creature he would be welcomed to her. And I had a feeling she would more than happy to leave. Not that it mattered anymore I suppose.

I stood, this simple action quickly getting the attention of everyone in the room. I grinned broadly. It was the underlings you had to make sure you kept in check. Though those in the room all were heads over at least a hundred each, they were still underworms just the same.

"If you will all excuse me, I have a very important announcement to make." The room went dead silent as Ishigaki stood up to join me. "Pardon me, _we_ have an important announcement to make."

All eyes were on us as Ishigaki fiddled with a remote. "You remember Yako Katsuragi disappeared from our very own prison today?" The underling worms squirmed in their seats. "It has come to our attention that this was an inside job, and we've brought you all here today to point out the culprit." A cold sweat had broken out in the group, and the worms looked at each other with a mixture of distrust and puzzlement.

The South and East top slugs however, smiled brightly. They had taken to the plan of getting rid of all those in their organizations whom they found bothersome, and had sent representatives to plant evidence to prove it true.

I smiled back at them. "The culprit is _you two._" I pointed quite clearly at the East and South top slugs, whose smile slowly faded. "Whatever are you talking about N? This is no time for jokes!" My smile grew as theirs waned. "Oh, I assure you we aren't joking."

The worms still didn't understand, but were hardly worried. "We were the ones who called this meeting to find the traitor in the first place! Akira-san, stop this madness!" It took me a moment to remember Akira was the name they knew Ishigaki by.

"But he's right~." Ishigaki smiled back at them. "You two were the ones who kidnapped Katsuragi-san, in order to remove those from the organization who weren't to your liking. I'm sorry to have defied your orders like this sir, but I can't stand by and watch my fellows be harmed even though they are completely loyal and have done nothing wrong."

The tops slugs paled at Ishigaki's words, turning to the worm underlings around them. "This is a trick! Surely you're not going to trust these lying newbies over the words of-" Their words were cut off with the lights, and a projector played on a wall all could see.

The recording of the two top slugs as well as Ishigaki and myself lit up the wall behind the top slugs seats.

"Tadue-san and Gero-san too! They're always questioning my orders!" The voice could be heard loud and clear in the dead silence of the room. I ignored the film, which I had be present during it's filming, and watched the reactions of those in the room.

The top slugs had turned an odd blue color, and I doubted it was because of the projector. I'd have to ask Yako what blue meant later, for the look on their faces wasn't quite fear. The other worms in the room had faces of variant shades. Those who had been directly mentioned in the film turned either white or purple.

I smiled to myself. Both Yako and Ishigaki had been right. What an interesting reaction.

As the film ended, Ishigaki turned the lights back on, and all in the room stared pointedly at the top slugs. "T-that doesn't prove anything! It was no doubt doctored by these two men who want to-"

"Should we check your rooms then? We've looked high and low for Katsuragi, but your rooms were off limits if you remember. Shall we see if she's there?" The top slugs original color came back a bit with that. "Of course! We have nothing to hide!"

There was a general stampede to the rooms, with the tops slugs reaching there almost last. They met with the sight of their rooms torn to shreds and Yako dragged out into the hall.

As if a volcano just exploded, the room filled with voices, angry and bitter, all aimed at the top slugs. "I-I swear! I knew nothing! The General of the East must have-!" "Why you traitor! You had just as much to do with this as me! Why didn't you say you were the one who kidnap-!"

The worms in the room were beginning to turn on one another, and the top slugs knew it, for they started to back out of the room slowly. I was quick to block their path. "Brothers! Halt!" I pushed the top slugs into the center of the room with me as I spoke. Yako was about to be trampled by these maggots, and I moved closer to where she lay to thin out the crowd a bit. According to my expectations, the worms made way for me to walk.

Ishigaki joined me. "Why do you turn on each other? These men are the ones responsible for this act of betrayal against their own people!" Ishigaki had just the right amount of strength and pleading in his voice. Perhaps I should let him do the talking.

The worms shifted their feet at this. One stepped forward a bit. "B-but those are our Oyabuns. How could we turn against them?" I was careful to keep my face straight. How simple minded. Ishigaki spoke again. "How could anyone who would betray his own children have the right to be called a father? I say we let them hang themselves with their own noose!" The room was silent again, but this time the eyes of the worms surrounding us were stronger.

I spoke this time, motioning to Yako as I did. "They have used this detective to cast doubt on each of you. This same detective should be the one who brings these betrayers to justice!"

Cheering broke out, and I couldn't hold back a smiled. Leaning down towards the dethroned slugs who had fallen at my feet, I whispered with eyes spinning. "**How easily a worm returns to the dirt**." They were far too frightened to muster up even a glare.

.

.

.

And this is how Yako ended up outside a police station with two of the most powerful Yakuzas in the country along with a box full of evidence that was enough to put them away for life. The media was all over the story within the hour, and Yako gained yet another level of fame.

Ishigaki and I, on the other hand, now had to factions to deal with. Both of which were trying to get us to become the new Oyabuns. We were quick to refuse, however, and I found this a good opportunity to speak.

"I did not expose our old boss to gain power, but to save my brothers." I glanced about the room at how this was received. Favorably it seems. "I am going to join an organization which is known for taking care of it's own! Known for being loyal to the last! And Akira-san has agreed to come with me!" This took quite a few by surprise, not excluding Ishigaki.

"Sure." Ishiagki replied with a smile, not realizing I hadn't meant it as a question.

"Then what about us?" One of the underworms asked the question in a rather soft voice for the crowd, but it was quickly seconded by nods. I forced the smile off my lips and my eyes to widen. "You may join us if you like. I certainly won't stop you. In fact, our new Oyabun is planning on meeting us for an interview. You can ask him to join then if you like."

I had to change the meeting location to an area that could fit all the worms, but it went rather smoothly.

And though he didn't seem pleased over the last minute change, Godai came anyway. Not like my slave had a choice in the matter after all.

* * *

**Notes** **too:**About the women smelling like dead deer, do some research on where musk [what most expensive perfumes are made of] come from. Nasty stuff man. Sorry it's a bit rushed, but I'm _ really_ tired. Hope it's okay anyway.

anon: Thank you for reading and reviewing! Hope you continue to enjoy!


	11. Board Clear Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** Yako's POV. I've been wondering lately if it's mostly guys or girls who read my fan fic. If you feel comfortable doing so, I'd love if if you'd leave a review to let me know which you are. You don't have to comment on the actual story if you don't want to, just saying "I'm a girl/guy" would be fine. I think it'll be girls though...anywayz, thanks for reading! Note to Anon at end.

* * *

I had been dodging media and paparazzi all day. It had become well know that I had brought down two of the most powerful Yakuza in the area, and it seemed every news station wanted an interview with me.

I had convinced Neuro to hold off the interviews for a day or so though. I had some groveling to do.

First stop was the police station. The reactions were varying.

Ishigaki-san didn't understand why I was apologizing. Higuchi-san couldn't care less about the fact I had dealings with Yakuza. Usui-san said he understood I needed my sources, and of course Tsukushi-san agreed with him. The difficult ones were Crome-san and Todoroki-san. For different reasons.

Crome-san was indignant that I would dare associate with yakuza, calling them "an organization of criminals". And no doubt that was normally true, but I knew Godai ran things a bit differently. Not that Crome-san would listen of course. So I ended up acting like I was listening while nodding and leaving after he finished lecturing me.

Todoroki-san on the other hand was horrified that I kept the company of yakuza, not because they were criminals, but because she felt they were dangerous.

"You really don't need to worry. Godai would never let any harm come to me. In fact, inside his headquarters is probably one of the safest places in the world I could be." Add Neuro to that factor and I would feel bad for an entire army that tried to get to me. Neither Neuro nor Godai were known for their being kind to their enimies.

"For now perhaps. But what if this...yakuza creep every gets tied of playing friend to you? You'll never be able to get out of there alive." Obviously she didn't understand me and Godai's friendship. We had an unbreakable bond from being in life and death situations together. Most of which were caused by Neuro.

"That will never happen. It would be like Ishigaki-san suddenly turning on you and killing you. We're that close."

Todoroki-san's eyes flashed at this. "What exactly is your relationship with this Godai-san person?" It was the first time I'd heard her use his name.

"I told you, we're good friends." Why had she gotten weirdly worked up? ...Perhaps? "Are you and Ishigaki-san dating?"

Todoroki-san practically spit the coffee she was drinking everywhere. So I was right huh?

"W-well, no, of course not. It's against organization rules to date someone in the same department as you." I held back a smile. "Of course. Sorry for mentioning it." Everyone in the department probably knew about it already anyway. Ishigaki-san isn't the best secret keeper. But if Todoroki-san wanted to keep up appearances, I wasn't going to stop her.

Thankfully Todoroki-san was so flustered by this she seemed to forget about Godai and how upset she was with me, and I left in her good graces quite easily.

.

.

.

Next stop was Godai. I knew he must be really ticked that I lead the cops right into his office. I just hoped I could blame it all on Neuro.

Ridding the elevator up, I noticed the person guarding it was one of the people who used to be a part of the General of the East's group. "Hello." I smiled at them. They tried not to make eye contact. "Hi." "You joined Godai's group?" He nodded in response.

A rumor had been started that soon after the two generals incident I had come back to thank Godai, Neuro and Akira [Ishigaki-san] for making it possible for me to bring down the two generals. The rumor went that we had hit it off, and I was now in good terms with them. It made a good story, and would explain anything if I was seen with any of them. Neuro had also assured me that he had messed with the two groups memories of him and Ishigaki-san, and that there would be no danger of them being found out. I hoped he hadn't done anything too drastic.

I got out at the top floor, and waved at the guard as I walked to the secretary's desk. "Hey Ane-chan, Godai in?" The woman looked up, smiling brightly as she did. "Yako-san, I haven't seen you in awhile! You're looking good!"

I smiled back. "You too! Got a new piercing I see." "Yep! So nice of you to notice! Oyabun-sama is in, but I was told not to disturb him. Well, I'm sure he won't mind if it's you though. He always says to just let you in no matter what, so go right ahead in." "Thanks!" I waited for her to push the button to unlock the door before turning the handle and walking in.

The room was darker than I expected, lit mostly by the TV which was flickering with some video game or another.

I was surprised to find that Godai wasn't at his desk. Looking around the room I still didn't see him. I was going to ask Ane-chan if she had been mistaken about him being in, when I heard a noise coming from over by the TV. On closer inspection I found Godai laying on the couch, which wasn't completely unusual. What was unusual was that Kira was laying on top of him, and both of them were rather passionately kissing.

I was completely shocked.

Seriously flabbergasted.

Which is a big deal for me. I'm pretty sharp when it comes to people. REALLY sharp. But I hadn't even picked up so much as a hint. And Kira definitely hadn't mentioned she was seeing Godai or vise versa.

I then noticed that while Godai's eyes were closed, Kira's were not, and she was looking directly at me.

I waved automatically, realizing instantly this was not the correct response for what I was seeing. Kira was unfazed however, and she untangled one of her hands from Godai's hair to wave back.

This got Godai's attention, and he turned towards where Kira was looking. Upon seeing me he froze, his face turning a shade of bright red that I'm sure rivaled my own.

"Yako!" With a voice that was a mix of a cough and whisper, he forcibly pulled Kira off of him and sat up.

"Hi." I wasn't sure what else to say. Godai was obviously embarrassed to death, and Kira looked annoyed that they were...interrupted.

Kira saw the uncertainty on my face and came to my rescue. "Hello. What brings you here?" She sounded completely calm and unabashed, which was really just like her. Godai was careful not to make eye contact.

"Um, I came to apologize for bringing cops to Godai's office." I shuffled a bit, glancing from Godai back to Kira.

Kira just smiled. "I already explained to him the parrot and I were the ones who forced you to do so. I assure you he holds no grudge. Right Shinobu?" She tilted her head slightly as she turned her smile on Godai. He turned slightly redder. "R-right." He ventured a look at me.

There was an awkward pause as I considered what to say next. "W-well, I should get going. Um, lunch and such..." This was a completely see through excuse, and I turned stiffly to walk out the door.

"Wait, I'll go with you." Kira adjusted her hair and pulled her shirt back down over her exposed stomach. Giving Godai a somewhat brief kiss, she stood and collected her purse and sunglasses from the table.

I wasn't sure if I should protest or something, but I feared anything I said would just make this even more awkward. Not to mention I really wanted to question Kira as soon as we were somewhere more private.

Kira waved back at Godai before opening the door. "You better call me." She smiled back as he nodded dumbly, and held the door open for me. "So, where to you want to go eat?"

.

.

.

Sitting at the nearest buffet that had yet to ban me, I could barely stop from asking a barrage of questions.

"Since when have two been going out?" I stuffed as much food in my mouth as would fit. "Since about twenty minutes ago." I almost choked on my food. "You started making out right after he asked you out?"

Kira crunched into the BBQ ribs she was eating, chewing bones and all. "No, more like I started making out with him and managed to get him to agree to go out with me." More crunching. We were starting to get weird looks from others in the restaurant-and for once it wasn't just because of me. "You know you're a good friend of mine Kira, but if you're just playing around with Godai I'm going to be seriously mad." My teeth were starting to hurt from watching Kira chow down on those bones. Filling my mouth with more food helped though.

"I'm definitely not playing around. I feel in love with him the second time I saw him; he beat me in Wario Kart." Kira had a dazed look in her eyes, and I felt it was a bad time to tell her falling in love with someone because of their Wario Kart racing skills wasn't a good thing. "Why didn't you tell me?" Kira looked genuinely surprised. "Was I supposed to?"

For the first time since I've met Kira, I wondered just what kind of life she led. Did she have any other friends? Had she ever dated before? Been married? How old was she even? I had never even thought of such questions before. Come to think of it, it was because I had never thought to ask Neuro such questions either, and I had kind of lumped them together. I made a mental note to ask more questions in the future. Even if it did label me as nosy.

Now was as good a time to start as any I suppose. "Girl friends normally do. Don't you have anyone you talk to about this kind of stuff?" Kira's face was blank. "No. I don't have too many human friends. Most people only talk to me because they want something."

She was telling me something that sounded so sad, but her face suggested it was only normal to her. Perhaps I was the weird one, being too used to knowing so many people, and having so many friends who look out for me.

"So, I'm supposed to talk to my girl friends about stuff like this?" Kira mauled that over. "Only the ones you trust of course." It was probably important to add that. Kira smiled at me. "Just you then huh? Ok, can I ask your advice?"

I felt a mixture of sadness that I was the only girl friend she trusted, and happiness that she trusted me at all. "Sure." I took a gulp of tea.

"How to I get him to become my mate?"

It's a good thing my cheeks are as strong as iron, otherwise I would have wasted perfectly good tea. I coughed to catch my breath. "Wait, what? Didn't you just start dating?" Kira sighed. "I'm not completely sure how earth customs work, and I've never chosen a mate before. However, I want Shinobu to be mine, so what do I do to get him?"

I glanced around, suddenly very aware of the staring eyes. I hoped it was still because of the way Kira and I were eating. "By "mate" do you mean you want to mate with him, or you want him to be your mate. Like, for life." Kira cocked her head. "Be may mate for life of course. I'm not that frivolous." I nodded, feeling more in my comfort zone. "So you want to marry him?" Kira considered that. "I suppose that's the earth ritual to get one to become their mate?" I nodded. "Then yes, I want to get him to marry me. How do I do that?"

I wasn't really sure what to say. I definitely wasn't qualified to give dating advice, and Kanae-chan's [the only person I had to defer to] wasn't exactly trustworthy. "Well, I'd start by not suggesting marriage right away. It tends to scare guys off." Well, anyone off, but that wasn't really relevant. "Ok." Kira looked very serious as she took this info in. "I guess just make him feel like he always wants to be around you? Always needs you by his side? That'll help at least. But I think the best thing to do would be to just be yourself. You want him to fall in love with you right? Not someone you're pretending to be." Kira sucked up this advice like a sponge, eyes wide. "Got it. Thank you for helping me out." Her smile was warm, and I felt guilty for not being able to help more. Why was I so good at dealing with people, but so bad at things like this? Lack of experience I guess.

"Well, sorry I can't help more than this. Keep me updated though!" I was going to have to talk with Godai later too. Just to clear the awkward air between us.

"Don't tell the parrot ok? I don't want him to try to pull rank over Shinobu." I thought about this. I didn't really know what Neuro would do if I told him. And if it made Kira more comfortable, I saw no reason not to keep this promise. "Sure."

We were kicked out shortly after. For "disturbing the other customers and abusing the buffet" we were told. Kira kindly paid for me, and in exchange I mentioned Godai's general working schedule.

I wasn't sure if Kira was going to be a blessing or a curse for Godai, but at least the girl really loved him.

Though that's what was worrying me.

* * *

Notes2: Well, that was surprising. Yes, I surprised me too. I had been juggling the idea of hinting Kira and Godai, though I had decided not to. Well, so much for that. I hope no one's upset. I know how annoying MainCharacter**x**MadeUpCharacter can be. I hope you're not disappointed/mad. Well, it's too late anyway. I can never seem to rewrite anything I've already written. So you're stuck with it. Sorry.

**Anon:** Thank you so much for reading and reviewing again! [Well, I'm guessing it's again since it's the same name as before. Though a lot of people use Anon, so maybe I'm wrong.] Anywayz, thanks (^_^) I'm so glad you think everyone's IC. You have no idea how much I worry about that. A lot. Seriously a lot. So it does my writing heart good to hear you think everyone is decently IC. Thank you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that chapters to come!


	12. Riddle Blog Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:**Neuro's POV. Four reviews! (^_^) Notes to reviewers at bottom.

**Feel free to skip the following babble. **

I've gotten into reading the Evil Genius trilogy recently. I really hope they make a movie out of it. Thaddeus Roth aka Prosper English seems a lot like Neuro. I even know what actor would be prefect for him: Cillian Murphy. Anyone who has seen him in Batman Begins would understand why. Well, that's pretty much completely unrelated to this story, besides the fact I'm getting ideas on how to make Neuro act from Prosper's character.

**Babble completed. Enjoy the story.**

* * *

Yako couldn't stop fidgeting as she got into the car. "I really hate interviews you know. Talking I can do, but I really don't like to in front of a camera, or knowing my words are going to be published for millions to read.

I grinned brightly. "If it's not billions by now, you'll just have to take over a country now won't you?"

I was in a good mood. Yako had set up what she called a "riddle blog", contesting those all over the world to submit a riddle to try to stump her. Well, me actually. And even though all had been entirely unsuccessful, I had eaten more in the past two days than I had in a week. My stomach still gurgled and growled, but the sharp and bitter pain I usually felt had whittled away to almost nothing.

I was in a very good mood.

Yako was defiantly not though, and she didn't even bother to complain about my driving like she normally did-she was always telling me to drive slower. If I drove any slower we'd be dead before we got there. I could walk this route faster. But humans always had to travel in these metal containers, and I knew from experience we would get weird looks if we didn't arrive in one.

"And how in the world would I do that? I don't exactly have an army behind me." I jauntily smashed her face against the passenger side window.

"And exactly what good would an army do you? You'd merely have to shake a few hands and give a couple speeches, and the masses would be eating out of the palm of your hand." Yako rolled her eyes at this. The depressing pig had less self-confidence then a mollusk. "And of course if any countries tried to fight against you, I'd be enough for the army." At this Yako snorted. "That I don't doubt." I grinned out at the road. Of course she didn't.

"Neuro, do you have any friends besides me, Godai, Akane and Kira?" I looked at Yako out of the corner of my eye. It was an unusual question for her, asked at an unusual time. "Who ever said you worms were my friends in the first place?"

"Neuro!" Yako whined and I smiled back with glee. "I'm not sure what you would classify as friends."

Yako considered that. "People you trust I suppose." "Well that would take the fox right out." I smirked at her scowl. "And I trust Godai and Akane to obey me. I suppose that leaves you louse."

Yako didn't smile as I expected her to. "Kira said something similar. Don't you have any friends from...you know, back home?" I completely gave up trying to look like I was watching the road. "Anyone I would trust? ... Not worth and inch. The general rule is only the strong get to live. If you displayed such weak feelings as trust you'd die very quickly." I stared back into Yako's blank eyes. "You wouldn't last a second. You'd be killed before you'd even get a chance to open your mouth-or perhaps you'd just be eaten alive."

This still didn't obtain a reaction from Yako, and I wondered what she was thinking about. Something trivial no doubt. Swerving into oncoming traffic did get a response however; Yako screaming and pulling on my suit sleeve.

"NEURO!"

I smiled.

.

.

.

"And here's your microphone Miss Katsuragi." The stage tech was quick and efficient, getting Yako ready for her interview within minutes. "Wait, where's Neuro's microphone?" Yako pointed to me as the tech shrugged.

The newscaster had spotted Yako and was making a beeline for us. "Miss Katsuragi! A pleasure to finally meet you!" The woman glanced at me before continuing. "We wanted this to be an exclusive, and since Mr. Nogami is just your assistant we thought he could sit this one out." I certainly didn't mind-the less light on me the better. Yako looked distressed. "I'd rather Neuro be there too. Not to mention he does a lot of the leg work. Don't you think he deserves some recognition too?"

The newscaster's smile had turned a bit forced. "I understand what you're saying, but the channel's director already said he wanted just you in this interview. If you like, I'll see if we can work out a separate interview for Mr. Nogami and we could run it during a non-prime time slot."

I did not want that. Yako seemed to be forgetting I wanted to stay out of the lime light. She was fuming, mad at the newscaster for a reason I didn't understand. I quickly cut in.

"Don't worry about that at all!" I smiled as brightly as I could, bowing and shaking the female worm's hand simultaneously. She blinked and seemed to consider me again. "I'd rather like to interview you though. Perhaps after Yako's live interview I can record one later-focusing on you of course." He smile got brighter and she squeezed my hand as she spoke. I was careful to keep the smile on my face. "That won't be necessary. I'd rather Sensei get all the praise." The female looked as if she would say more, but she was summoned to the stage to get ready for the interview.

"Live in five!" The call went around the studio and I patted Yako's arm. "You're up louse." I smiled blankly. "Try not to make a complete fool of yourself." Yako glared back. "You said billions right? Don't think they're just watching because of your deductive skills. If it wasn't for my people skills, not even a hundred would be watching." I slightly sunk my claws into Yako's arm, and being far too used to it she didn't react.

"**Then knock them dead louse.**"

My smile turned more genuine as Yako walked out to her seat on stage. The louse did have a point. She was loved everywhere as the brilliant, caring and piggish detective. While I had much to do with the brilliant part, I had no claim to the other two. Though I knew if I told Yako this she would tell me I was just as piggish as she was.

My grin stayed in place as eyes and ears followed Yako and the conversation she was having with the female newscaster. The latter had gone up with plastic smile in place, but with Yako there was starting to let a real smile through.

"We're live in five, four, three, two." The camera man mouthed the last two numbers, and the female wormed turned to the camera, unable to keep her genuine smile from her lips.

"Welcome to Jenna Talks! I'm your host, Jenna Fuyu. Coming with me live is Miss Yako Katsuragi, better known as the Piggish Detective. How are you doing today Miss Katsuragi?"

"Probably better if I wasn't better known as the Piggish Detective. How about you Miss Fuyu?"

"I'm good, thanks. Do you not like your nickname?" "Well, I don't think anyone would like a nickname if it called them a pig."

"True! Though you have to admit your appetite is widely known." "It's definitely well known to restaurants. You have no idea how many buffets I've been banned from!"

Even I grinned at Yako's joke. This was Yako's element, talking and getting people to like her. If that worm newscaster thought she was going to upstage Yako, she would quickly forget about it. I had seen it many times; so called celebrities trying to outshine Yako, and quickly turning to singing her praises. As if such wannabes ever stood a chance.

"So, now that the formalities are out of the way, I have some questions here sent in from fans of yours. Would you mind answering them?" "Of course not." Yako smiled happily at the camera.

And to think she was just telling me how she hated interviews.

* * *

**Notes 2:** Thanks for reading! If you like, why don't you **submit a question **you'd like Yako to answer? Or perhaps even one you'd like Neuro to answer? I'll incorporate what I can in my next chapter. Questions for Neuro would be harder to add, so I'd probably only pick one or so for him.

**Ari:** A new reader! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! \(^o*)? [pirate] I'm glad you think KiraxGodai is okay. I was seriously worried. (-_-;) I'm sure it'll end up irking some people, but I'm glad you're are fine with it. (^_^) I hope you enjoyed this chapter too, and hope you continue reading!

**Nomaen:** Ahahahaha. I understand. Life is always crazy busy. But I'm glad you're still reading! Why yes, I was trying to imply NeuroxYako. I'm glad you're picking up on the subtle hints. Let me know if you spot any more. (^_^)

And no, they're not really subtle. O.O But I've pretty much given up on that. *Dodges 999 hugs*

Thank you for regularly reading and reviewing!

**Cornflowerblue:** Good to hear from you again!(^o^) I hope you're still enjoying the story! Thank you so much for letting me know you're reading again, and for reviewing!

**Neru-kun:** Hello again! Thank you for reading and reviewing so fast! (^_^) I'm so glad you're enjoying it! Here's Neuro again, and he is one of the most relaxing characters to write. He never uses suffixes, and rarely uses names at all. Also, his personality lets me bring out my evil side. *evilsmile* Thank you for answering my question too! I see you read the author notes. (^_^) Not many people do, (T^T) *sniff* so I really appreciate it. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!


	13. Question and Answer Yako

**Disclaimer:** I don't own MTNN

**Notes:** 3 girls 0 guys. I have a feeling it'll be only girls... Yako's POV. Notes to reviewers at end.

* * *

The lights are blinding as always. I forced myself not to squint as I looked at Fuyu-san, my smile plastered on my face.

"This question is from Shuga-misu, and she wants to know what motivated you to become a detective. We're all familiar with your first case, that of your father's death, but what made you realize that you were going to investigate this case?"

I took a deep breath. The subject of my father is always a tough one for me, made even worse by the complicated way I got involved in finding his killer. It drags my memory back to before I met Neuro, reminding me of the hopelessness and helplessness that threatened to drown me.

Forcing the emotion down, I looked up at Fuyu-san. "When my father died, the police said they couldn't find his killer because some of the evidence didn't make sense. A riddle if you will. I found myself hating riddles, and hating my own helplessness. And so I decided that no matter what, I would fight. I refused to cry and do nothing. That's really when I made my resolve to not be helpless anymore."

"I'm sorry to ask you such a difficult question. You seem rather shook up by it." Fuyu-san looked genuinely worried. I straightened my back. "It's an odd memory, because it's one of the saddest, scariest moments of my life, but it's also the one I'm most thankful for."

"Because it got you started in detective work?" I smiled. "Yes. And It's because of that event that I met Ne-...my assistant. When I was at my weakest point he showed up and told me I could definitely solve the case. I doubt I would have ever become a real detective without him."

Fuyu-san shifted in her seat slightly. No doubt she was thinking back to the rude things she had said to Neuro. Speaking of which, I could see him just off stage behind her. He was leaning against the wall and grinning in a way that made me hope I was the only one who could see him.

Fuyu-san quickly recovered. "And we're so glad you did become a detective. Now for the next question, this one is from Sudo-Ren. He asks if you've always had such a big appetite?"

I laughed, a bit relieved to move on to a less serious subject. "Yeah, I have. Every since my mother started cooking."

"You just couldn't get enough of her food huh?" "Sure." I didn't think it'd be good to mention on national television that I'd had to learn to eat as much as I possibly could just to survive when it wasn't my mother's cooking.

"And the last question, from Cadel-Kudo is whether or not you've ever been to full to eat any more?" So in the end it's all about my being piggish huh? "Not yet. But I know a couple chefs who've tried."

"And that's all we have time for today folks! Be sure to tune in next time. I'm Jenna Fuyu, signing off."

The lights went dim as the camera stopped rolling. "We're clear!" A stage hand called from the shadows, and Fuyu-san's smile instantly vanished. "Thank you so much for coming in for an interview today Katsuragi-san. We'll have the statement you gave us about the Generals case air right after. I wish you'd let us ask you questions about that."

I really had no idea about how I'd explain the Generals case if I was asked questions about it. And the last thing I wanted to do was answer the questions wrong on live TV. "Sorry. Maybe next case." "I'll hold you to that."

Neuro was waiting for me when I finally walked off stage. "Took your time didn't you louse?" "You're the one who made me do the interview. Next time I won't do it and you won't have to wait." Neuro dug his claws into my skull as he dragged me towards the door. "Or next time I just won't wait louse."

I could hear Fuyu-san calling me, but from Neuro's speed I realized we weren't going to stop to say goodbye. So I suppose acting like I never heard her was the best policy.

.

.

.

Neuro was in far too good a mood.

We were walking to a meeting with the police, and he continuously and randomly would spring traps or trip me, even forcing my head into a nearby trash can once.

"Neuro! I smell like garbage now!" He whirled to face me, walking backwards like an overgrown kid. "You smelled like garbage since the beginning louse. It's hardly a change." I scowled and attempted to punch him. This of course went horribly. I missed him entirely and got punched in my stomach for it. As he slung me over his shoulder to carry me like a sack of potatoes, I found myself thinking it again.

Neuro was in far too good a mood. I could almost hear him whistling. Surely never a good sign for me.

The entire way to the police station we got odd looks. Probably because an extremely tall man appeared to be abducting a garbage covered girl. Ok, maybe child. So what if I haven't grown much.

Thankfully Neuro let me down to brush most of the garbage off before we entered the building. Though it didn't lessen the stares we got. Maybe I had gotten a bit too famous lately. I wasn't used to even the police force staring me down.

A woman I didn't recognize escorted us to a conference room. Must be a pretty big case this time. Inside two people I didn't know were sitting at the table, and Todoroki-san and Crome-san were with them.

Ugh.

Him again.

"What's up guys?" I smiled as I took my seat. Neuro stood behind me as per usual, leaning against the wall behind me. I always wondered when he leaned against the walls if he was using his apparent anti-gravity power and instead of leaning he was really laying on the wall.

"Miss Yako Katsuragi?" My blood suddenly ran cold, and a bad feeling ran over me. "Yes." The man's eyes turned to Neuro. "And this must be Neuro Nogami?"

Neuro's forced peppy look suddenly sprang on his face. "Yes sir! How can Sensei and I help you~?" About five uniformed police officers came into the room.

"**You two are under arrest.**" My mind was white as I felt the handcuffs get slapped on.

* * *

**Teru Kisuke: **Yay! I'm glad you found it. (^_^) That is perfectly fine, lol. I thank you for it. I'm glad you're not horrified by GodaixKira. I was worried what kind of reaction that would get. So far all positive...I'm looking forward to Godai being like that too, lol. Seems fun to write. He's always been a tsundere. My writing style's not that great either. It's been pointed out to me I write mostly in statements. Well, that's how I think anyway, so it's not going to change anytime soon.

Not quite that fast this time. Working on it though. (^-^) Thank you! Srry it wasn't that interesting. Just my laziness and bad grammar, lol. Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**Neru-kun:** I'm glad you can tell I'm adding it, lol. I'm seriously trying as hard as I can. But man Yako and Neuro are oblivious. Bakas. Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying it! And I rather hate weak Yako too. I figure she has to be pretty strong to not only deal with Neuro, but also be so calm around bad guys.

I hope you liked this chapter too! And I'm glad it's somewhat interesting. (^_^) Thanks for reading and reviewing!

**Little-miss-sugar-less:** I'm so glad you're enjoying it! And that you're fine with KxG too. I suppose I was biting my nails for nothing. Well, so far anyway. I'm sure someone out there doesn't like it. And actually Yako isn't in high school anymore. She's ...twenty? Nineteen? One of those. This is after the manga time skip. But I did try to incorporate one of your questions anyway! Hope you like it! Thank you for reading and reviewing!


	14. Power Play neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** I felt really bad about leaving a cliff hanger. So I skipped lunch and wrote this instead! Enjoy! 4 girls-0 guys. Notes to reviewers at end.

* * *

"Arrest? Surely there must be some sort of mistake~." I didn't completely understand human laws, but as far as I knew Yako had been helping the police, and this alone should make her arrest unwarranted.

One of the five police slugs who had come in right before this announcement had put handcuffs on Yako. He grabbed her wrists and pulled, most likely to lead her away.

The female cop was yelling something loudly, being held back by the metal slug. I took this confusion as an opportunity to grab Yako's shoulder, pulling her quickly from the grasp of the worm who wanted to take her away.

The slug cop who had been holding her wrists turned in surprise. "I'm sorry sir, but I need to take her to a holding cell for questioning."

"**No. You're not.**" I was suddenly very aware of Yako's pulse which was pounding way to fast in her shoulder, and in the silence of the room I could even hear her heart beat. It took me a second longer to realize everyone in the room-besides Yako that is-was staring at me.

"On what charges am I being arrested?" Yako was calmer now, her pulse slowing slightly. The room was still silent, and I noticed the cops had their hands on their guns, eyes still on me.

"I'm really sorry Yako. They told me they just wanted to talk to you, not arrest you." The female cop struggled slightly, trying to get free of the hands that still held her in place. She tore her eyes away from my face and was looking at Yako again.

I tried to force my smile back. "Is no one going to answer Sensei's question?" The words came out a bit stronger then I had planned. Yako tensed slightly, turning to look at me. The look in her eyes told me my attempt at appearing innocent was not working.

Forcing myself to take a deep breath, I loosened the muscles in my face, then forced them back into a smile. It was as if the room took a breath, and finally the worms broke their stares.

"For obstruction of justice, and withholding evidence." The metal slug spoke, his voice a bit hoarse sounding. One of the slugs I didn't recognize stood up. "And you, Nogami-san, are under arrest for being an illegal alien."

The uniformed slugs glanced at each other, mentally fighting with each other to see who would have the honor of handcuffing me.

"I-I'm not sure that is such a good idea." The female cop spoke the words unsurely, glancing at Yako.

I was a bit at a loss myself. I could easily dispose of these slugs, but I had Yako to worry about. Injuring them would surely affect her reputation as a detective, and escaping would have a similar effect.

As one of the slugs slowly approached us, I leaned down to whisper to Yako. "What do you want to do dishrag?" She looked around the room before she answered in a whisper of her own: "For now, I suppose we just get arrested. We'll see where to go from there." The slug had reached us, and he very slowly pulled Yako from my grasp.

I glared at him as he pulled out his cuffs.

"S-sir, please put your hands on your head." I did as he asked, keeping an eye on Yako who was being dragged over to the other slugs. The slug had to strain to reach my wrists to handcuff them. The flimsy metal clicked into place, and the cop breathed a sigh of relief. Why he was relived I didn't know, for these things could hardly hold me.

"Take Nogami-san to holding cell A, and Katsuragi-san to holding cell B to await further questioning."

I listened carefully to the sound of Yako's footsteps as she was lead away. It wouldn't do to lose track of where she was.

Though that wasn't really a problem; the piggy had a very distinct smell.

.

.

.

The room I was led to was small, with four chairs and a table being the only pieces of furniture in it.

Across from me sat two burly men who glared at me. I leaned back, feeling much more relaxed knowing Yako was only two doors down the hallway outside. I could slightly hear her squealing voice.

"So, your name is Neuro Nogami is it?" I leveled a look at the man who spoke. His glare was mediocre at best. "Did you know you don't have a birth certificate or any sort of ID in this country?"

I smiled. "You don't really think my name is Neuro Nogami do you? It's just a stage name." This took them aback. "Then what is your real name?" My smile turned blank.

"John Smith."

The muscle slug banged his fist on the table. "You expect us to believe that? You don't have a seal, and your finger prints aren't in the data base either! How do you explain that?"

My smile didn't waver. "I'm a forgetful person. And it's not my fault that your data base is messed up. Surely you don't expect me to be punished for your mistakes."

"**Why you-**" The other slug started to speak, and I stood up at this.

"And with that, I believe you have nothing to hold me on. **Am I right?**" The slugs trembled in rage as I walked out the door.

The slug guarding it jumped as I walked out. "S-sir! You can't just leave!" "You have nothing to hold me on." I pushed past him. I could smell Yako to the left.

"B-but you also withheld evidence from the police. You're in the same boat as Katsuragi-san!"

I kept walking. Of course Yako was in the same boat as me. But unfortunately for the police, this boat was armed.

I entered the bathroom on this floor, ignoring the odd looks I got from the women inside. Opening the window, I looked out at the wall. I was two windows and one floor away from Yako. An easy enough distance to scale without looking… too inhuman.

I could hear the police slugs searching for me in the hall, and I climbed out as I heard someone say "Check the bathroom." The women inside gasped, and I quickly grabbed onto the ledge above me and pulled myself up. Two window sills over I could hear Yako talking.

"Neither you nor I have any proof that she actually _is_ the Puzzle Seller, just like you don't have any proof that Godai did anything wrong. It's just suspicion. And you can't hold me on a suspicion." "Actually we can, for 48 hours in the nearest prison. So unless you want to go spend a night in a jail full of people whom you sent there, then I suggest you start talking."

I landed lightly on Yako's ledge, peering into the window. The two slugs in the room had their backs facing me, and Yako's eyes bulged slightly when she spotted me.

"Not an appealing prospect is it?" Yako struggled to remain calm. "Almost everyone I've put in prison regards me as a friend. It's definitely not a threat to me." "We'll see about that Miss Katsuragi." The two got up, glancing at the window before heading towards the door. Of course I was nowhere to be seen when they looked.

I climbed in the window as soon as the door slammed shut. "Neuro! What are you doing here?" Yako bolted from her seat, though upon reaching me she didn't seem sure what to do. "You're going to get in so much trouble!"

"Why are you worrying louse? They'd have to catch me first." Yako groaned at this. "Neuro! They don't really have anything to charge us on, so as long as we cooperate we'll be out of here in no time."

Yako's breath caught in her throat as the door knob turned. She couldn't even get a syllable out before the door swung open.

Ishigaki stepped in, shutting the door quickly behind him. Yako breathed a sigh of relief. I had known who it was and saw no point in hiding.

"Neuro-chan!" I felt my eye twitch slightly at this. At least he had stopped calling me Neuro-tan. "I thought you'd gone missing! They're searching everywhere for you!"

I leaned against the wall. "They're arresting Yako and me." Ishigaki nodded fiercely. "I heard! I came here to bust you guys out!"

As if we needed help.

"Thanks Ishigaki-san, but I have a feeling that will only make matters worse. Not to mention get you in trouble. Why are they arresting us anyway? They have to know they can't really charge us with anything."

Ishigaki-san squirmed. "Crome-san mentioned to the Chief he thought you and Neuro-chan were dirty, seeing how you guys were all chummy with one of the Generals. Well, I suppose he's not a General anymore.

Anyway, the Chief doesn't like you much to begin with, feels you're stealing our cases. And then when you brought the two Generals down he got really mad. They've been trying to get anything on those guys for years, and you did it in a week. So he wanted to pull rank and scare you a bit, remind you who's in charge type of thing. He's not very nice."

Yako looked thoughtful. "Then all we have to do to get him off our backs in nicely go to jail for two days-right?"

Ishigaki nodded. "But won't that mess up your reputation?"

"Let _me_ take care of that one."

Both of them looked at me.

**"When I'm through with that grub he'll wish he'd never had anything to do with us."**

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Notes2: I figured there had to be _some_ repercussions for dealing with the Yakuza. Hope you enjoyed reading! 1k hits! Whoot!

**Starkeeper6: **Sorry for the cliff hanger! Hope my fast update makes up for it! (^_^) Ahahaha. It was a random thought that came up when considering Crome's reaction to working with Yakuza. I'm glad you finally got back on (^_^) an that you're ok with KiraxGodai. Lol, I'm glad she's so likeable! THank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Ari:** I'm glad you're enjoying it. (^_^) Yeah, sorry about those. English is my first language, I'm old enough to know better, and using spell check, so I don't really have an excuse. I suppose I'll just have to go with my not proofreading very hard makes the updates faster. Hope the speed makes up for the mistakes. :D I'm glad you're enjoying it! Hope you enjoyed this chapter too! Thank you for reading and reviewing!


	15. Cell Mate Yako

**Discliamer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** Sorry for the wait. RL is always crazy busy, and it temporarily sucked away my writing flow. But we're back!Notes to reviewers at end. Yako's POV. Sorry if there's more grammar/spelling mistakes then normal. This computer doesn't have spell check.

* * *

Handcuffed and wearing orange, I walked through the barred doors. They buzzed shut behind me, locking me in here for the next forty eight hours.

Neuro, I had been told, had gotten off easy. The police were still trying to find out who he really was, though I doubted they ever would. If they insisted, however, I knew Neuro could easily get a fake ID from Godai or Kira. But either way, Neuro didn't have to serve any jail time. Just little old me.

A bunk bed sat inside my cell, a slightly over weight and extremely muscular woman was on the lower bunk.

"Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Yako Katsuragi. Please be kind to me." The woman looked up to consider me. "And _why_ exactly, is it nice to meet you?" Her eyes were hard and untrusting. I almost sighed in relief at this familar sight. I had seriously been worried about prison, but seeing this woman reminded me: they were all criminals. And criminals I knew how to deal with.

"Oh, I didn't say it was nice of you to meet me, but it's nice that I got to meet you. I was worried I was going to be stuck in a cell with either a psychopath or an idiot. You're defiantely not either." I smiled as I looked around the cell.

The woman considered me. "Yako Katsuragi huh? You're not half bad. What're you in for?"

"For 'obstructing justice' apparently. The police keep insisting two friends of mine should go to jail. By the way, I think it's only fair of me to be upfront with you and tell you I'm a detective." I watched the woman's response carefully. Her eye's narrowed.

"A detective? Like for the police? Aren't you a bit young?" "AH! Not a police detective, a private detective. I'm the piggish detective, if you've ever heard of her." The woman's eyes widened this time. "That famous detective? You've sent more people to prison then anyother detective in history, but everyone of them that I've met is always singing your praises! How in the world did you brain wash them?"

I looked surprised. "Brainwashed? I would never brainwash my friends." I doubted the woman could look anymore surprised. "A detective claims to be friends with criminals?" I couldn't quite hold back a glare. "I'm not claiming it. They really are my friends. Just because they've made mistakes in their life doesn't mean they should be written off as failures. Though I admit I have a bit of trouble getting along with murders. I just can't imagine hating someone enough to take their life."

My new roommate was perfectly silent through all of this, watching my face closely. "You really mean it." Her voice was almost a whisper. "Indeed I do. May I ask your name by the way?"

"Katra Waron, but everone calls me Kat-tun here." "A pleasure to meet you Kat-tun. Do you happen to know when they serve lunch here?"

.

.

.

Prison's not as scary as I thought it would be. Kat-tun was excited to introduce me to everyone, seeing how I was such a novelty. And after hearing Kat-tun insist I was "on the level" they even ignored the fact I was a detective.

Lunch, however, was very scary. Very little food. The taste wasn't bad, but the quantity left much to be desired. Thankfully, Kat-tun saw my plight, and got a fourth of a serving from everyone else in the prison for me. The entire prison then clustered around me to watch me gulp it down. "Wow! I've never seen someone eat so much of that slop so happily before!" someone I didn't know yet spoke, and their comment was followed by cheering and agreement from the other prisoners.

They quickly grew attached to me, and I found it hard to leave them as the wardens had to pull us away for lights out.

Completely exhausted, I climbed up to my bunk which was less then comfortable. Prison guards seem very adept at yelling, and ours screamed at us through the bars. "LIGHTS OUT! NO PRISONERS OUT OF THEIR BEDS! IS THAT UNDERSTOOD?" The unenthusiastic confirmations of the prisoners didn't dampen his spirit. "ANYONE FOUND DISOBEYING THIS WILL BE PUT IN SOLITARY! SLEEP NOW!"

The cells went dark, and silence filled the halls. Whispering was strictly forbidden.

"**How is prison treating you dishrag?**" My eye's flew open and if I would have smacked my head on the ceiling if Neuro wasn't there. My forehead smacked into his chest instead, which was doubtfully softer, but at least cushioned by fabric.

"You definately seem to have missed me." Neuro peeled my head of his chest and grinned rather evily, fingers digging into my skull. I glanced down at the cell door as I quickly covered Neuro's mouth with my hands. "Shh! I'll get in big trouble if they catch me talking." I whispered as quietly as I could, knowing Neuro would be able to hear me.

Neuro glanced toward the door sharply before sitting up to lean towards me, a smile plastered on his face. "**You think I'd get caught louse?**" His voice was barely a breath this time though, and I felt my heart calm slightly. Of course he wouldn't.

"I'm fine. I got enough food for dinner to survive me the night, and my cell mate is pretty nice. So not as bad as the police chief would hope I'm sure." Neuro didn't mention I hadn't answered his second question, opting to instead answer the first.

"Then you're doing better off then me aren't you dishrag?** At least you've been able to fill your belly**." He growled slightly with the last statement, showing how annoyed he was that I dare eat when he hadn't had the mystery he was expecting today. Like that was my fault.

"Is that your stomach Yako-san?" I froze as Kat-tun spoke from her bunk, her voice muted.

Neuro leaned so close I could feel his breath on my ear. "_**I thought you said talking wasn't** **allowed.**_**"**

"Um, yeah, just the midnight munchies." I glared at Neuro as I half whispered this. It was his idiot fault for making so much noise.

***creak* **

If I thought I was tense before, it was nothing compared to the horror I felt as I saw the top of Kat-tun's hair appear next to my bunk. She had gotten out of bed.

Neuro's eyes had sharpened, and I held my breath as Kat-tun's eyes followed her hair into my line of sight.

"I-I thought we weren't supposed to get up." I tried not to let my voice shake. How could she not see Neuro, who was less then two feet from my head? Even if he laid down as stiff as a board he had to be less then three feet above me. Not to mention Kat-tun was looking up. It was impossible to miss him.

Yet somehow she did.

"Here." She handed me a packet of what smelled like cheese crackers with peanut butter. "Just don't get caught ok? The warden would have my hide if he knew I was hiding food."

"T-thank you." I was both touched and freaked out by this gesture. "Really. _Thank you."_ _And please don't see Neuro._ I selfishly added in my head. Apparently she didn't though, as she went back to her own bed without another word. _  
_

I quickly looked back up to the ceiling to find Neuro gone. Well, I should have figured.

Opening the crackers I laid back down and turned to lay on my back.

Or I tried to at least.

I had found Neuro.

"Neuro!" I whispered softly as I squirmed to turn while still fitting on the bed. Neuro was laying on his side under the covers, most likely _just_ out of what Kat-tun's sight was.

As expected he didn't move. "_How nice you get to eat more dishrag._" He glared at me as he eyed the crackers.

Tentatively I offered him one, just to find it crushed in my hair. "Neuro!" My whisper was a bit stronger now, and I found my mouth full of cracker and Neuro's hand before the words barely left my lips.

"I thought you just said to be quiet louse. Do make up your mind." I squirmed harder, fighting both to be able to breath and stay on the bed.

"Are you ok Yako-san?" Kat-tun spoke again, and I yanked Neuro's hand out of my mouth and tried not to cough. "I'm fine!" I wheezed silently into my pillow before daring to speak again. "These are just so good." Kat-tun giggled softly. "Of course. You've had nothing but prison food today, _anything _would taste good." I forced out a half laugh half cough. "T-true." Actually the prison food had tasted pretty good, but this was a bad time to mention that.

Neuro chuckled himself, getting another glare from me in the process.

Picking the covers off, he drove a hand practically through my stomach as he transferred himself back to the ceiling.

"Go to bed now louse. You'll have plenty of time to chat in the morning." Because of the bunk bed he was abnormally closer then I was used too, and even though he whispered I could still hear him rather clearly. Also because of the abnormal closeness I noted Neuro's eyes almost seemed to glow in the dark. They had that feeling you get when you're standing next to someone in a brightly colored shirt, while outside in almost pitch blackness; it's the only thing your eyes can pick up in the dark.

I nodded in response and closed my eyes, sleep already blurring my thoughts.

.

.

.

"UP AND AT UM! BREAKFAST!" No word has ever roused me in the morning like someone mentioning breakfast.

My head hit something softish as I sat straight up.

Whew. Almost hit my head.

Wait...Neuro?

I looked up to find no one there, much to my relief.

Wait, if no one was there, why was there a heavy feeling on my head? Whirling to my right I found Neuro laying on the wall, claws now digging in my head.

"_Idiot louse._"

"You up Yako-san?" Kat-tun's bed was creaking and i recognized the sound of her getting out of it.

I was faster down that bunk's ladder then I could think what I was doing.

"I'm up!" I tried to keep my voice steady and chipper. "Let's get breakfast then!" Kat-tun seemed very excited this morning. "Last night we started a bet about how many plates of scrambled eggs you can eat in a minute. I'm looking forward to see who won!"

Who ever picked the most I would say; I was starved.

Glancing back up at my bed I noticed I couldn't see Neuro. Definitely a good thing.

Scrambled eggs? I was starting to get excited too.

* * *

Notes2: Ever sleep in a bunk were your head touches the ceiling? I have. And I bumped my head every morning for the entire week.

**Neru-kun:** I'm glad you liked them! Sorry for the wait this time...life. -_- I'm glad you're ok with KxG too! I have such supportive readers! (^_^) THank you! And thank you so much for reading and reviewing! How you enjoyed this chapter too!

**WindSakura:** We still don't know what Neuro would do. O.O I'm so glad you're enjoying it! Thank you so much for reading!

**starkeeper6: **Ahahahahahaha! Why thank you! And that sounds cannibalistic. Or like my boyfriend would kill me. O_O Lol. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story so far. Hope this update made ya smile too. (^_^) Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**LittleMissSugarLess:** I'm so glad you're enjoying it! And yes, yes they are. Neuro found a way to weasel out of it tho huh? Figures. Ah well, thank you for reading and reviewing!


	16. Friends First Kanae

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** Sorry for the wait again. RL is seriously busy. (-_-) Note to Neru-kun at end. Kanae's POV.

I was seriously mad.

How could Yako-chan? Here I'd always done my best to help her and be a good friend, but apparently she didn't feel the same.

Not only had she left in the middle of our girl date, she hadn't contacted me in over a week. During which, she had been kidnapped, brought down two of the four generals, and then went to jail for "Obstructing Justice", though how exactly she did that the news report hadn't said.

I had left sixteen messages on her phone, but she never so much as texted me an "I'm fine".

And now, the good friend that I am not wanting our friendship to be ruined, I stood outside her house. Banging on the door as hard as I could, I hit the doorbell with my other hand. This would be my small revenge before Yako-chan opened the door, and my anger would fade at seeing her face. And if it didn't, I wasn't so naive to think I'd still be angry after she spoke in her calm and soothing voice.

The door swung open approximately three seconds after my first knock, with such force I almost fell backwards. However it wasn't Yako-chan before me.

Nogami-san stood, with checkered pj bottoms and no shirt and eyes dulled from sleep.

"Yako's friend." His voice was gruff and scratchy, but I didn't let myself dwell on the implications of this.

"Hello Nogami-san." Forcing my way past him I headed for the stairs, knowing that's where I'd find Yako-chan. Sure enough, she walked down them rubbing her eyes.

"Kanae-chan? What are you doing here at three in the morning? Are you alright?"

I slammed my hand into the wall rather near her face, and sleep fled her eyes in an instant.

"Kanae-chan?"

I opened my mouth to speak, when I was suddenly very aware of a warm feeling behind me. Turning my head, I noticed Nogami-san was uncomfortably close to me, his eyes sharper than usual.

I was surprised I hadn't noticed him standing there earlier.

Yako-chan also noticed him, and paled slightly, perhaps realizing he had answered the door to her house wearing nothing but PJ bottoms. Though why she should go pale instead of red alluded me.

"U-um, I'm sure you have a good reason for this. Would you mind leaving us alone for a girl talk Neuro?" Nogami-san seemed unwilling to leave. For the first time I wondered if he thought I was actually going to harm Yako-chan. A ridiculous thought, since my anger had already began to wane.

After a bit more persuading from Yako-chan, Nogami-san reluctantly left, leaving me and Yako-chan alone to talk.

"What's the matter Kanae-chan?" Yako-chan had gotten me a mug of hot chocolate, and a pitcher of it for herself. I glared at her.

"What do you mean what's the matter? You fly off somewhere with Kira-san, and the next thing I hear you've been kidnapped? And then you NEVER text me to tell me your fine, or respond to any of my messages? What the heck Yako-chan? I thought I was your best friend!"

Yako-chan cringed as I spoke, uncomfortably fidgeting with her hands. "I'm sorry." Her voice was almost as soft as a whisper. "I had such an over load of messages afterwards that I didn't listen to any of them. There were over three hundred in my mailbox. And so many things happened in a row that I was completely swamped and didn't think of contacting anyone. But there's really no excuse. I'm really sorry Kanae-chan, that was really horrible of me."

Any left over anger I had was swept away with this humble display. Darn it Yako-chan! Why couldn't you just let me stay angry?

I sighed. "Sadly, I can never stay angry at you. Just remember to inform me next time! I hope you've at least called your mom." "Oh, she already knew about the plan."

...

"Plan?" Yako looked surprised. "Ah! The cops wouldn't let me contact anyone except for her! I'm really sorry!" "Wait, you getting kidnapped was part of a plan? So you weren't kidnapped by Yakuza?"

"Well, I was, but Neuro and a cop were undercover keeping me perfectly safe."

So he knew. "But I thought you were admitted to the hospital right afterwards?" Yako-chan nodded. "I was, but only to make sure I was ok and check on the bruise on my stomach."

"Bruise?"

Yako-chan pulled up her shirt to show me.

The biggest, blackest bruise I had ever seen was on her stomach.

I felt my blood run cold.

How could she have been perfectly safe with such a bruise on her stomach? "Does Nogami-san know about this?" Yako-chan looked surprised.

"Yeah." "How could he have been keeping you safe if you got hurt?" Yako-chan didn't look flabbergasted. "Well he had to keep his cover. It was just a light kick anyway."

So he kept his cover as the woman he claimed to respect more than anyone else got hurt. Maybe Yako-chan had a good reason not to be interested in this guy.

Any guy who let her get hurt like this-and even had a part in letting it happen didn't deserve her.

I thought it best to change the subject. "Then what about jail? How did you get caught up in that?" Yako-chan sighed. "A bit of a long story. Basically, the police chief dislikes us and was trying to pull rank."

Us?

So they tried to get Nogami-san too? And yet he let Yako-chan take the fall alone. I felt like my eyes were seeing a brand new light.

"So the claims were unfounded?" Yako-chan wiggled slightly. "Mostly. It's true I'm friends with some Yakuza, but they're really nice and I didn't obstruct justice."

Friends with Yakuza? My mind went back to the "business takeover" from earlier. "By Yakuza do you mean Godai-san?" Yako-chan hesitated before nodding slightly. "Yeah. But he's not as bad as you think I swear, and he's one of my closest friends."

Well, I suppose I should leave that one for now. "And that's all?" Yako-chan fiddled with her thumbs. "Also the Puzzle Seller, but I don't have anything on her to give the police, so she doesn't really count."

Puzzle Seller? Sounds like a supervillian wannabe.

I rubbed my head. I had a lot to think about.

"Thanks for being honest with me Yako-chan. I'm sorry for waking you up so early." "No! I'm so sorry I've been such a jerk! I'll buy you lunch to make up for it later. Ok?"

I grinned. "Sure."

Walking out of Yako-chan's room, I noticed Nogami-san was waiting in the hall. My brain was too tired to think of what he was doing here half naked at this hour.

I stopped to glare at him for a moment.

So what if he was tall and smart and extremely handsome and shirtless-wait, that last one didn't count-if he wasn't going to take good care of Yako-chan he was not going to get her.

I pushed past him and continued down the hall.

Time to do a little research.

.

.

.

"Wow Kanae-chan! It's so rare of you to call me!" Kira sat before me, munching on the bacon she had ordered.

"Well, it was kinda important." I was a bit nervous to discuss this with her. He was her brother after all. "I had a couple questions to ask you about Nogami-san."

Kira's chewing slowed and she looked up sharply. "What kind of questions?" There was more than a tinge of curiousity in her voice.

I took a deep breath. "It's about Yako-chan's and Nogami-san's relationship. Remember how I asked you to help me with it a while back?" Kira nodded. "Well, I'm not so sure anymore if he's the best choice for her." Kira put down her bacon. "Why do you say that?" I hoped she wasn't offended. "Because I don't know if he really loves her now. I used to be so sure of it, but lately he's put her in danger and she got hurt even when he could have stopped it from happening. And if his love is that shallow I don't think he deserves Yako-chan."

I watched Kira closely, but she didn't seem angry with me. More thoughtful than anything. "So, what do you want to do about it?" She broke the silence, thoughtfully chewing on another bacon strip.

"I'm not sure. I thought as his sister you might have a better idea of what's going on in his head, and I'd base my decisions from there. I know you'll want what's best for your brother, but as Yako-chan's friends it's our duty to look out for her." Kira was watching me intently. "And if Nogami-san isn't right for her, I think it's good to know now. She's already waited three years for him. How much more of her life is she going to waste? Because I want her to take the path that makes her happiest."

Kira hadn't blinked the entire time I talked. "You're right. Yako does deserve the best after all." She took a gulp of water. "Unfortunately I don't know what my brother's thinking."

She smiled an odd smile, almost borderline insane looking, and it made me shift in my seat automatically.

"Well, I can always ask."

* * *

**Notes2:** Sorry if the grammar's bad. No spell check. (T^T)

**Neru-kun**: I'm glad you're enjoying it! Sorry the jail arc wasn't longer. (-_-;) Anywayz, hope you enjoyed this chapter too! Thank you for reading and reviewing!


	17. Food for thought Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: Neuro's POV. Notes to reviewers at end. This chapter dedicated to Neru-kun-hope life gets better!**

* * *

Throwing the computer monitor into the wall I found myself wishing Yako was there to dodge it.

Police chiefs are hard to mess with, and I had to be careful how far I went with his punishment.

He hadn't hurt Yako, nor really her reputation. It had been a mere show of what pitiful strength he had.

So I was going to let him see a real show of strength. But Yako wouldn't want me to actually hurt him, and revealing my true self would not be the best idea either.

I suppose I'd have to go with my first instinct after all.

It would just take a bit more planning.

.

.

.

For the second time in my life I woke up to find myself walking down stairs.

The door in front of me was practically shaking from the force of being hit.

Perhaps a very weak midget was trying to break in?

Quickly changing into the sleep clothes Yako had recommended to me since the last incident, I flung the door open.

There was a rather weak midget there; "Yako's friend" who paused to mutter something for a second before pushing past me.

Yako was walking down the stairs. "Kanae-chan? What are you doing here at three in the morning? Are you alright?" The latter suddenly slammed her hand on the wall very close to Yako's face.

I had noticed at the last second her hand wasn't going to hit Yako, and had to pull back from impaling the midget with my unsheathed claws.

At least this incident had fully woken me.

While I kept my claws carefully out of the midget's sight, Yako spotted them and turned pale, probably realizing how close I had been to turning her friend into a Shish-Kabob. Which meant I was going to hear a lecture from Yako later.

"U-um, I'm sure you have a good reason for this. Would you mind leaving us alone for a girl talk Neuro?"

I was still unsure if the midget proved a threat or not, but Yako looked determined. Nodding, I walked down the stairs, waiting for Yako to go into her room before standing outside the door.

Not really paying attention to their conversation, I focused mainly on the task I was planning for later this week.

"Does Nogami-san know about this?" My attention fully turned to the conversation in the room as I heard this.

"Yeah."

They must be talking about Yako's being kidnapped.

"How could he have been keeping you safe if you got hurt?" I tensed at this comment, knowing there was a bit of truth in it.

"Well he had to keep his cover. It was just a light kick anyway." Yako's words didn't truly answer the question. Surely _I_ of all people could have found a way to keep my cover and stop her from getting hurt.

I felt a growl mount in my throat as I considered my oversight.

I would just have to be much more careful.

The midget left soon after, Yako yawning as she shut the door. "I really have to make it up to Kanae-chan. I've been such a horrid friend recently."

I ignored this comment, opting instead to lift Yako's shirt.

"What are you doing?" Yako sounded annoyed as I considered the black spot on her stomach.

I lightly poked it.

This time the reaction was stronger. Yako pulled away so hard her shirt ripped slightly and tripping, she fell to the ground with a thud.

"OOOOWWWWW! Neuro! Why would you do that?" I was genuinely surprised by this reaction.

"Did it hurt that much dishrag?"

Yako glared at me. "Of course it did! It's a bruise!"

I considered that.

This dishrag was far to easily hurt. Yako was still trying to pull away.

Very carefully I touched the bruise again, much softer this time.

Yako bit her lip, probably still feeling some pain.

"You got hurt four days ago louse, exactly how long is it going to be until you're healed?" From my inspection of it, this bruise seemed to be an injury under her skin.

"How in the world am I supposed to know the exact time it'll be healed? Not for another week at least."

I looked up from my inspection. "_A week_? To heal from a kick?" Yako rolled her eyes. "Probably close to that."

I watched her face carefully, but she didn't seem upset by the fact it was going to take so long. Humans truly amaze me sometimes.

Sighing I relinquished my hold on her shirt and she tumbled backwards without it to hold her up.

"Neuro!" Sitting up she rubbed the back of her head.

How long would that take to heal I wondered. Well, I suppose it hadn't really injured her enough to need healing.

Yes, I was going to have to be much more careful.

.

.

.

I smiled to myself as I scanned the newspaper before me.

I had checked the riddle blog, and easily solved what few were of any merit. It always felt especially good to have some food, however unfilling it may be.

"Neuro! I'm going out with Kanae-chan!" Yako had just stopped chatting away like an idiot on her phone, and was reaching for her shoes.

I reached them first, lifting the shoes out of her puny reach.

"And where do you think you're going without me?" Yako was jumping trying to reach her shoes. "Neuro! It's to make up for not contacting her!" Grabbing on to my shoulder she tried to use it as leverage to jump higher.

I threw the shoes out the window.

"As if I would leave you alone with the creature who threatened you just yesterday." Yako had run over to the window and was mumbling to herself as she looked out of it.

"Oh please. Kanae-chan would never really hurt me. She was just making a point." And what would happen if she felt the need to make a stronger point? I think not.

Two shoes hit me in the back of my head.

"You drop something parrot?" The fox slid through the window with a grin ever plastered on her face.

"Kira! Thank you! Those are mine!" I glad at Yako for thanking the fox for hitting me. I returned the favor by smacking Yako in the face with her shoes.

I realized my mistake a second too late.

"Bye Neuro!" Yako grabbed the shoes and took the opportunity to run out the door.

As if I was so easy to lose.

My path was quickly blocked by the fox.

"Actually, I came to talk to you parrot. About Yako." I glared at her. I did, however, owe her one for finding Yako's would-be killers.

"What was it you wanted to talk about fox?"

The fox walked over to sit on troy, and I had a feeling this was not a light discussion. I moved to sit on the ceiling, being exactly face to face with the fox at this position.

"About Yako. Didn't I say?" "**What** about Yako. I'm in no mood for games."

The fox looked at me calmly for a moment before continuing. "When exactly are you going to let her go?"

She could have told me Yako was a man and I would have been less surprised.

"What do you mean 'let her go'?"

"I mean what I say and say what I mean. When are you going to let her get on with living her life?" "She's free to live her life as she pleases. I'm not holding her back."

The fox snorted. "Please. You really think your being with her every second of her waking hours isn't having a huge impact on her life? Besides, What if she doesn't want to be a detective anymore? Are you going to stop her?"

I pulled back slightly. "She won't. I know her. She likes being a detective."

"Then how about if she falls in love? Decides to get married? Have kids? Are you still going to stalk her from the shadows? Appear on her ceiling every night? Push her around when she's pregnant? Scare her husband? Her kids?"

There was a very long pause, the silence roaring in my ears.

I had never even thought of let alone considered any of these things.

The fox spoke in a quieter voice when she continued. "Yako isn't going to live forever. Human lives are so short. She's already spent a good amount of it with you. How much of it are you going to take from her?"

The room seemed filled with water as I considered this, everything slowed and sounds were muffled.

I knew perfectly well how fragile humans were.

But still.

I glanced at the computer, the riddle blog still up on the screen.

"All of it."

The fox didn't react right away. "All of it?" Her voice was calmer than I had expected.

"All that's left, of course. One can't take what's in the past."

Of course I wasn't going to leave.

How ridiculous!

Yako was my s-partner.

I wouldn't be able to find a more suitable one.

And she had agreed to it even!

As if I was going to be chased off by a fox's silly notions.

"A very selfish decision-isn't it?" The fox spoke in almost a lazy tone, as if reading a lullaby to a child. "So what if she wants to leave? What then?" There was something I couldn't read in the fox's tone.

"She won't." "You can't guarantee that." "Then I'll make sure she can't."

The fox's face darkened, a truly evil smile on her face. "Do you _really_ think you can stop Yako if she wants to leave? Do you _really_ think that's a battle you could win?"

No.

I didn't.

"She'll just have to want to stay then." "Forever?" "Yes, forever."

"And **why** in the world would she want to do that? No one likes a clingy friend, wouldn't you say?"

"You would know." The fox ignored me.

"You already annoy her to death with just how much you monopolize her. Why would she want that for her entire life? She'll get tired of it soon enough."

"Then I'll make sure she can't leave even if she wants to."

"How? Hold her friends and family hostage? She'll definitely hate you."

**"No, I'll get her to _agree_ not to leave." **

_"As if she'll do that. Who would want to be stuck with a parrot." _

**"She will."**

_"As if. Such an agreement will be easily broken as soon as she gets herself a mate."_**  
**

_**"Then I'll be her mate!"**__  
_

**...**

The room went silent, and even as the words left my mouth I saw their merit.

It would insure Yako as my partner, give her half my life greatly increasing her life span, and ensure no one could take her from me.

The fox slowly smiled an unpleasant smile. "Is that so? A human? Are you sure? Isn't that choosing a mate beneath you?"

I had a feeling the fox had expected this.

"Yako is far above any mate I could have chosen from home, and miles above any amoeba to be found here."

I spoke slowly, the thought getting stronger in my head as I considered it.

She definitely had all the qualities I lacked, which while making her extremely weak also made her very valuable.

Powerful even.

I mean, she had managed to keep a fox in line, an otherwise unheard of feat.

The fox I was thinking of was still smiling. "Well, if you've decided, that begs the question: would Yako accept you?"

Who wouldn't?

Obviously she would say-...

My mind went back to previous discussions I'd had with the louse.

I knew what was desirable from human males wasn't what I would normally expect.

But still..."_I couldn't ask for a better partner."_ Something Yako had said along time ago.

I didn't know.

I honestly didn't know what Yako's reaction would be.

The fox's smile grew in my silence.

"Food for thought no doubt. Think carefully dear parrot-for Yako's sake."

And she was gone, leaving me with my thoughts.

* * *

**Notes2: ****Uwah. That was a bit different then I expected! A bit faster and such. **** (-_-;) Well, tis too late to change now. Hope you enjoyed it!**

**Jarri Scythe :** Srry! As I've said before I often publish w/ out checking it first. The releases are 10x faster that way. But I fixed the part you pointed out to me, thank you! I appreciate the criticism, and I tried to do better this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Neru-kun:**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you so much for reading! Dozo! Thank you too for reviewing! It motivates me to write more (^_^)


	18. Thoughts to Live By Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** So, continuation and all. Hope it didn't seem jumpy...Notes to reviewers at end. Neuro's POV.

* * *

I paced the floor as I considered what to do.

If Yako wasn't a human my next move would be simple-tell her I'd accept her as a mate.

I was second to none power-wise, and miles smarter then any other male option.

But these weren't exactly human standards.

And besides being able to protect a house and keep it's grass short, I hadn't been given any other standards.

Not to mention from television it appeared humans all had different standards for mates.

So how was I to know what Yako's was?

Digging my claws into my skull out of pure annoyance I glanced around the room.

Perhaps this could just be another puzzle to solve?

But it didn't quite met the requirements.

Why was I, the smartest creature in the world, having such difficulty with something humans did every day?

I let out a sigh as a familiar scent wafted up from the stairs.

Yako was back.

"Neuro!" She burst into the room with the grace of an elephant. "Look what I got you!" She held out a small hand-held electronic device that reeked of syrup. I see she had gone out to eat as well.

"It holds over twelve thousand puzzles! I got the most difficult one!"

She was obviously overexcited over the stupidest things. A smile forced itself onto my lips.

"Is that so? I'm sure it'll last a day or so." I felt keenly alert as Yako dropped the bags she was holding on the floor, whining as she did. "Can't you a least pretend to be thankful? I was so excited when I got it."

I could see that.

Taking the device from her I turned it on, noting she had already taken it out of it's package and put batteries in it for me. She knew I hated doing such menial things myself.

"Thank you louse." The words came out softer then I had intended them to, and Yako stopped digging through her other bags to look up.

"Uwah! You actually said thanks! Well you're quite welcome. Hope it lasts longer then a day."

Watching her struggle with ripping the tags off clothes she had just bought, I found myself smiling again.

No, I truly couldn't ask for a better partner.

I tossed the chiming device I held onto troy, and reached into one of Yako's bags, ripping the tag off the first item I picked up.

Yako was quick to turn on me.

"SERIOUSLY NO NEURO!" Taking the garment from me she inspected it thoroughly.

"I just bought these! I really need some decent clothes, and I don't have the money to buy more. Don't mess with these."

I watched her pull the next garment out and gnaw on the tag she couldn't pull off. Grabbing it from her I simultaneously pulled the tag off and threw the garment into the empty trash can.

"Neuro!" She got up to pull it out as I grabbed the next garment in the bag, considering where to throw it next.

Let that be a lesson in snubbing my kindness.

.

.

.

I still hadn't decided though.

Well, I had, but only the out come, not the delivery.

I didn't have much human knowledge to work with, and the person I would usually ask was out of the question.

The fox also wouldn't work, no doubting knowing just about as much as me in these situations.

Not to mention I couldn't bear the bother it would be to ask her for help. Who knew what the price would be this time?

Yako's friend was also out, being far too chatty and clingy.

And I certainly couldn't tell slave number two, who would reject the idea and go straight to Yako with his new knowledge.

I suppose that left me with one choice.

"Neuro-chan!" I cringed slightly. "I told you not to call me that. Just Neuro."

Ishigaki stood before me, which wasn't unexpected considering this was his house.

"Did you come to watch more mystery movies? I found so really good ones from Englan-" "No, I didn't."

His eyes got wide. "Then just to visit me? I'm so excited~! We could have a sleep over!"

"How about you start with **letting me in.**" As usual my tone didn't faze the human in front of me.

"Of course~! Come right in! Sit down! Would you like some tea? Coffee? Cookies? I have Oreos, but cup cakes have more frosti-" "**NO. I don't want anything.**"

"Ok~Ok! What's up then~?" Perhaps this had been a mistake.

But it was one of my very few options left.

"I need your...opinion on something." Ishigaki nodded vigorously. "Yes yes! I'm happy to give it! On what exactly?"

I took a deep breath. "Yako. I want to make her my mate." Ishigaki didn't even blink.

"Why?"

I stopped at that question.

Such a simple question.

Surely it should have a simple answer.

"So she won't leave." Ishigaki twiddled his thumbs at that. "That doesn't seem right. REJECTED~!"

Bouncing off his chair he plopped down next to me on the couch, an uncomfortably close distance. "Why don't you want Yako to leave?"

I leaned away from him as he leaned towards me. He wasn't intimidated by my glare as most humans were.

"Because..." This question was even harder then the last. "Because I want to stay with her." I knew that wasn't really an answer, but it was the first thing to unjumble from my thoughts.

Ishigaki seemed pleased however. "So you want to marry Yako because you want to stay by her side?"

I knew from television people who were "married" were mates. "Yes."

"So what did you want my opinion on?" Ishigaki leaned even closer to me and I slid away the same distance.

"On how to get her to agree." Ishigaki nodded slowly. "What did you have planned so far?"

"To tell her I wanted her to be my mate." Even if the females were supposed to suggest who they wanted as their mate, it wasn't unheard of for males to do so.

"That's a terrible idea." Ishigaki's voice was rather flat and he spoke the words quickly.

He leaned back against the couch. "Let me ask you something Neuro." His voice had lost most of it's childish ring.

"You said you wanted to stay by Yako's side right?" "I did."

"And do you feel the responsibility to protect her?" "Of course, it's a necessity after all, she's so weak and fragile."

"Do you normally think about her even if a puzzle is involved?" I see he had noticed how important puzzles were to me. "Some one needs to keep an eye on the dishrag. Always wandering off."

"Do you concede to her requests?" "The louse would throw a hissy fit if I didn't."

"Last question and it's a big one, do you ever just look at her and smile? Especially when she's doing completely random and meaningless things?"

Almost everything the louse did was meaningless. But this question dragged up to mind Yako pulling the tags off of her clothes.

Weak idiot.

I found myself smiling again.

"I suppose."

Ishigaki smiled brightly. "Well, it's decided then. You're in love with her."

My smile faded. "I'm not." "The evidence proves otherwise." He held up a hand and counted on his fingers as he spoke.

"One, you want to spend time with her. Two, you want to take care of her and protect her. Three, she takes high priority in your life. Four, you compromise with her. And five, you find idiotic things she does amusing-even cute."

He looked up from his hand to smile at me. "That, my friend, is what we call being in love. Have you ever been in love before?" I spoke slowly. "No..." "Then you just didn't know what it felt like. You're definitely in love."

I considered this. It seemed like unhelpful information.

"What of it then?" It didn't change anything.

"Well, you had planned on telling Yako you wanted her to be your mate right?" "Yes." "Instead why don't you tell her you're in love with her?"

"Why does it matter? Don't both equal to the same thing?" I had just been told this path was disastrous as well, by the same person who was now endorsing it.

Ishigaki shook his head however. "No no! It's completely different to women. Just tell Yako you love her and want her to be your girlfriend. I'd stay away from mentioning the word mate for now. It sounds too serious too suddenly. You have to get her used to the idea first."

"Boyfriend? What does that entail?"

"Well...mostly the same as if she was your mate, but more on a trial basis."

I see, I suppose.

Human's were much more finicky then I had imagined.

"So I just need to say that?" Ishigaki tapped his nose as he thought, a habit I had seen him do while trying to puzzle out murder mysteries. Knowing his track record of solving them was making him seem less trustworthy. Well, he was oddly good at dealing with and understanding humans, so I supposed it'd be fine.

"Pick the right time to say it. Preferably when you're alone and Yako is in a good mood. So after she just ate?" That would be her at her happiest.

"Fine. Is that all?" Ishigaki grabbed my arm. "Yep! I'm so excited! I hope it goes well! You'll have to call me as soon as you hear the answer! Even a text would be fine! A thumbs up or something-" "Thank you for your help."

I stood up to leave, walking briskly out as Ishigaki didn't stop chattering, suggesting I stay for some video game he wanted to play.

I didn't bother to stop to reject this invitation but opted to get into the car I had driven here and head back to the office.

If all I had to do was wait until Yako had finished eating my task would be harder then I had imagined.

After all, the pig never stopped eating.

* * *

Notes2: Ishigaki proves to be helpful! I'm a bit nervous about progressing so rapidly. But, well, Neuro's not a complete idiot, nor is he someone to sit around doing nothing. So I hope that helped it stay IC! Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed!

**LittleMissSugarLess: **It tis! I hope it all goes well! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**MiraLove:** I'm glad you're enjoying it! Hope you liked this chapter as well! Thank you for reading and reviewing! Keeps me in the writing mood!


	19. Advice Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Neuro's POV. Notes to reviewers at end.** Anyone who has any unsolved mystery from around the world or even history, let me know.** I'm looking for one for the next mystery arc.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Yako looked up from making an omelet which contained at least thirty eggs.

I pulled the rest of my body through the kitchen window and sat on the ceiling. "Ishigaki's. He got a new mystery movie he thought I'd like." I didn't mention we hadn't watched it.

"You've been hanging out with him a lot lately, haven't you?" Yako was trying to flip the omelet, and it slid precariously around the plate. "He's a useful source of low quality food."

The omelet refused to budge, filled with too many ingredients.

"Really. And that's the only reason? He seems to get along with you well, and you spend more time with him then necessary to just eat." Yako tried prying it off with a spatula, lifting the pan to get better leverage.

"It's impossible not to. He won't let me leave." Yako rolled her eyes at this. "I'm sure you could if you really wanted t-"

She cut her sentence short as her thumb hit the frying pan and she dropped it with a yelp.

Reflexively I grabbed the pan before it landed on her foot, omelet and all.

"You're far too easily hurt." I noted dryly, easily holding the bottom of the pan without the slightest trace of discomfort.

Yako glared at me as she turned on the kitchen sink and ran water over her thumb. "It's not my fault."

"I wasn't the one being clumsy." Snorting she peered at her thumb thoughtfully. "Thanks. If that had landed on my foot I wouldn't have been able to walk for days."

Ripping my glove off with my teeth, I used my claws to flip the omelet before replacing the pan on the stove. "Exactly why caught it. It never would have done to have lost out on food because of your clumsiness."

Sighing Yako dug through one of the drawers along the sink. "Yeah yeah. Where are the stupid dish cloths?"

Grabbing the pull out sprayer from the faucet I gave Yako a good dowsing, leaving her dripping wet. "Neuro!"

"What? I thought you wanted a stupid dish rag? I even wet one for you."

Yako then proceeded to try to splash me in turn, with which I rewarded her by spraying water directly in her face.

.

.

.

"I'm doing far too many things with out getting a meal in turn recently." My hand was plunged into the computer, tracing documents I needed.

"It's been awhile since we've have a good mystery. Wanna try a really crazy one? Like which Mona Lisa is real or who makes crop circles?"

I answered absent mindedly. "Both Mona Lisas are fake, and crop circles are either made by rolling cattle or creatures like the fox, who like to mess with humans just for the fun of it."

Yako stopped looking through the paper, her huge bandaged thumb inhibiting her turning the pages. "Oh come on! You do NOT know all that."

I looked up from the computer with eyes full of boredom. "Like you really doubt me louse." Turning back to the computer I dug even deeper.

I suppose here would be perfectly acceptable.

Leaving the information I had dragged with me through cyber space, I pulled my hand out of the machine.

My guess was two hours tops before the mayor found an email alerting him to the police chief using his authority to push around harmless allies, and a celebrity one at that.

This email was obviously anonymous, though if traced back it would look like it came from one of Yako's fans who kept a blog about her. The blog had just been updated with a message similar to that which was found in the email. The same email which had also been sent to the local news stations.

Action would need to be taken to avoid a scandal.

Yawning I stretched, glancing up at Yako as I did so. I could hear her stomach gurgling from here.

Ishigaki had suggested putting Yako in a good mood, and nothing did that more than food.

"Is it lunch time already louse? One can barely heard oneself think over the roaring of your stomach." Yako's head jerked up.

"It's already three Neuro, way past lunch time, and you still haven't let me go eat." "If you were more productive you could have eaten long ago."

Yako pouted. "Why do we still need to do this anyway? The police from all over the world are informing us when they get a mystery they can't solve, and Godai is searching all of Japan for anything that smacks of foul play. Why do we have to bother with newspapers from little towns all over the world? Can't we get someone else to do that for us?"

Climbing over troy I smacked my shoe on top of Yako's head, grinding my foot softly. "The truly delicious mysteries are the ones so complex the police don't even know they are mysteries, and slave number two wouldn't know a puzzle if it bit him. And who do you expect to hire who knows as many languages as you? If you want to do things right you have to do them yourself."

Yako grabbed my ankle as she tried to squirm out from under my shoe. "Fine! I get it! Just get off!"

I removed my foot and replaced it with my hand, which threw Yako into the wall. "Get your shoes on louse, I can't stand the sound of your roaring stomach any longer."

.

.

.

Restaurants are always extremely boring. The waitress is always hovering in the background, and annoying asks me at least three times if I'm sure I don't want anything. As if I would want that slop she's pushing anywhere near me.

I also have to watch my tongue and actions. There's always someone who recognizes Yako in these places. Or at least recognizes the huge amount of food she's devouring.

"Are you sure you don't want anything sir?" The fly flits around the table, buzzing in my direction as she does. "Not even some water? It's free you know." I try to smile. "I'm fine, thank you."

"I'll vwake vwo mowre pwates ov vis awnd a hoole cweese quake pwease." The fly hesitated, glancing at me before writing the order down. "Y-yes ma'am. Right away."

As she left I could hear he whisper to a fellow fly. "The poor man must not have brought enough money for the both of them, and yet the disgusting glutton just eats away with out a second thought. I feel bad for him."

I smiled as I watched Yako stuff a whole sandwich in her mouth. So that's what we looked like huh?

Reaching out I pulled Yako's hair which was starting to find it's way towards her mouth. The pig would no doubt eat it with out even noticing if it got any closer.

Yako looked up as she stuffed a burrito in after the sandwich. "Bou're bein' suspiciusiwy mnice vadway. Wat's uwp?"

I grabbed a handful of fries and mushed them into her face. "Better? If you have time to talk you aren't eating fast enough, so hurry up."

Coughing and taking a gulp of water Yako nodded and stuffed some vegetable into her mouth. The waitress bring her the other things she ordered and giving me a look of pity before walking away.

I snorted to myself. As if I needed pity from such an insect.

.

.

.

"I can't believe you paid too!" Yako bounced along next to me, practically skipping from the happiness of a free meal.

"I just took it out of your feed account." I grabbed her by the back of her shirt and lifted as we crossed the street. She coughed as she chocked slightly on her shirt collar.

"I haven't eaten that good in ages! The food was very high quality too!" I threw her the rest of the way across the street, smiling to myself at the squealing sound she made as her feet skidded on the sidewalk. The louse was getting pretty good at aerial turns, making it to her feet before she even hit the sidewalk.

I suppose I'd have to up my tossing speed.

"A shame you've been banned from it during rush hours." It seems she was "disturbing the customers". There were few restaurants she was still welcomed back to. Most of the ones that didn't seem to mind were smaller, non-chain establishments. She was viewed as a blessing there.

"Yeah, well, the waitress was snotty anyway. She kept shooting me dirty looks." Sp Yako had noticed that huh?

"That's probably because you stayed too long. I've never seen someone who takes three hours to eat, even if they cleared out all the food in the kitchen."

Yako pouted. "That's because they took so long to cook the food! It's not my fault."

Humming lightly she skipped down the sidewalk. "Do you need any more sudukos?"

"I still have some puzzles left on the device you gave me." "Eh? I thought you would have finished them by now."

Grabbing the back of her shirt again, I threw her into her front door. "I've been pacing myself. Unlike a certain piggy I know."

Rubbing her head she stood up. "You threw me faster than you normally do, didn't you?"

I smiled blankly.

.

.

.

As soon as we walked in the door Yako announced the show she was looking forward to watching was on.

I considered turning the remote into some type of bug, but remembered Ishigaki's advice of keeping her in a good mood at the last minute.

Plopping down on the ceiling above Yako I resigned myself to wasting precious moments of my life watching something that involved British servants whose master and mistress were far too kind to stupid to watch over them properly.

Yako was crying at the end.

And here I thought she enjoyed this show.

"That was amazing! I"m looking forward to next week." She dried her eyes and immediately bee-lined for the fridge, digging out a tub of yogurt.

"Haven't you eaten enough piggy?" Dipping my finger in the yogurt I smeared it on her nose.

"Please. You understand perfectly well the feeling of never being able to eat enough."

Wiping my finger on her shirt I smiled.

"At least you gt the opportunity to try your best at eating everything in sight."

She finished off the yogurt, using her finger to eat what she could off her nose before fetching a napkin to wipe it off.

She didn't even look mad as she tried to get what she could off her shirt.

I took a deep breath, almost choking on the air I had forgotten wasn't miasma.

She was in a good mood now right?

It would be a good time to tell her now wouldn't it?

To my surprise my words stuck in my throat.

I was more nervous about this than I thought.

What if she said no? Then what would happen?

What if the idea repulsed her? I wasn't human after all.

But I had already decided.

I had decided hadn't I?

Yes, I had.

Saying it now or saying it later wouldn't make a difference.

And to get her in this good of a mood again would require much more money and time.

No, this was definitely the opportune moment.

I looked back at Yako, only to find she wasn't there.

Climbing the stairs I heard her in her room.

I opened the door, finding Yako wearing her sleep clothes.

"There you are. I was wondering if you were going to solve puzzles all night." She turned off her lamp and climbed into bed.

I stood by the door for a moment before climbing onto the ceiling and walking over to where her bed lay below.

It had to be now.

The dishrag was liable to fall asleep at any moment.

What had Ishigaki said to say?

Just say it.

Now.

"Yako?" My voice caught for a second, lacking the businesslike tone I had been trying to have.

"What?" Yako yawned as she opened her eyes.

I swallowed.

I had never been so unsure about anything in my life.

I had plunged without a second thought into a world that was poisonous for me, but I had trouble speaking such simple words.

Was it because I loved her as Ishigaki said?

I wish I didn't.

It would make this much easier.

"Neuro?" Yako's voice was tinged with worry. It wasn't like me not to talk when I had something to say. "You're not leaving again are you?"

Her voice sounded soft and fragile, and it was very reassuring that she was worried I would leave.

"No, I'm not." I sat up, leaning closer to Yako as I watched her face closely for a reaction.

"Be my girlfriend." The words sounded muddled to my ears, and I realized it wasn't what I had been told to say-even if I had remembered to say girlfriend instead of mate.

"Hmm? Another case? Well, I already have played your wife, I don't see how girlfriend is too big a difference."

...She wasn't getting the point.

"No. Not for a case."

Forget Ishigaki's advice.

"I want you to be my mate." Reaching down I lightly smoothed a hair sticking straight up from the top of her head, fingertips following the grain of her hair.

"Are you messing with me? Because it's not cool." Yako sat up quickly, jerking her hair out of my grasp and coming face to face with me-even if I was upside down.

"I'm not." I felt once more like I was surrounded by water, sounds muffled and everything moving slow.

Yako's eyes were wide, and the silence hung heavy.

"You're not joking." Not a question, but I answered anyway.

"No."

"I'm human."

"I know."

The silence filled the room again, an empty roaring in my ears.

Yako's lips trembled with the effort to speak, but I couldn't tell what emotion was behind her eyes.

She mouthed something.

Two words.

It was a second later before she could verbalize them.

"Get out."

Her voice was choked and barely a whisper, and even though I knew what words were coming I still felt like I had been slapped.

I didn't move.

"I'm sorry, I really am, but please, just get out."

Her voice was stronger this time.

I still didn't move, feeling glued in place.

"Neuro get out!"

She had finally found her voice, and I forced my limbs to move at her words.

Pulling myself to the window I climbed out, glancing back at Yako as I went.

Her head never turned, and I could see she was shaking slightly.

I had a feeling it wasn't from joy.

Climbing down to the street, I felt dazed as I wondered what to do next.

Oh.

I had forgotten what Ishigaki said.

To tell her I love her.

Though I suppose it wouldn't have made much of a difference in the end.

* * *

Notes2: Look forward to seeing it from Yako's side!

**Neru-kun:** I'm glad you're enjoying it! And you're most certainly welcome! I hope life's being less of a jerk. (^_^) Things are getting serious here O.O If I was a comic book writer I'd end it with: "Will Yako ever return Neuro's love? Will the detective team break up? Find out in the next chapter of Balance!" Lol. Thank you so much for reading! And for reviewing too!

**starkeeper6:**Thank you for letting me know of your love of reading my writing! (^_^) I've said this before, but reviews always make me so happy! Thank you for reading and reviewing!


	20. Other Side of the Coin Yako

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own MTNN.**

**Notes:** Sorry for the wait...again. I may have wasted my sleeping time watching Phi Brain... Well, anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm pleasently pleased that no one seems mad at Yako for her response. I was worried some may hate her for it. But I didn't see her jumping for joy at such a proclamation. Thanks for being understanding towards Yako! Notes to reviewers at end. **Yako's POV**

* * *

Neuro was being extremely quiet-even nice-all day.

It was freaking me out.

First he didn't force me out of bed early.

Then he didn't pull me away from eating breakfast.

_Then_ he flipped my omelet which had been stuck to the pan.

Scary.

So imagine how scary it was when he took me out for lunch. (or was it dinner?)

Yes, you heard me right.

**Took me out to dinner. **(or was it lunch?)

He didn't poison my food.

He didn't kick me in the stomach, making me puke up my meal in the middle of the restaurant.

And he didn't even stick me with the bill, which I was expecting from the beginning.

With a yawn I picked up my tooth brush.

The only explanation I could come up with was that whatever I was going to be put through tomorrow was going to be one of the worse experiences of my life. I would need my sleep.

Neuro walked into my room seconds after I had put my PJ's on. It always made me nervous when he had such good timing. How did he know what I was doing in the first place? Or when I was done? I can't tell you how many times I've searched my room for Evil Fridays-just in case.

Well, I try not to think about it too much.

"There you are. I was wondering if you were going to solve puzzles all night."

Neuro didn't respond.

I turned out the light, and climbed into bed. I just hoped Neuro would let me be well rested for whatever lay ahead.

"Yako?"

I yawned. "What?"

Silence.

My eyes focused as much as they could in the dark, revealing a faint outline of Neuro on the ceiling above me. His eye's were the most visible thing, looking like green stained glass lit by a low burning candle.

"Neuro?" I was completely awake now, very aware that something serious was about to happen.

"You're not leaving again are you?"

He better not be.

"Be my girlfriend." With an odd tone and unfamiliar words, I almost doubted it was Neuro above me. I didn't even think he knew what a girlfriend was.

He must mean for a case though.

Must be.

"Hmm? Another case? Well, I already have played your wife, I don't see how girlfriend is too big a difference."

There was silence, and I could feel the tension in the air.

Something was off.

But I didn't want to know what.

"No. Not for a case."

I instantly felt nauseous, stomach practically in my mouth as I tried to comprehend this.

I must be misunderstanding something.

"I want you to be my mate."

He was serious.

I could tell.

Suddenly I felt his hand on my head, patting my hair, and my breath froze in my lungs.

I was instantly very aware of Neuro laying directly over me, eye's serious and glowing, voice soft and unsure, with his hand still on my head.

I sat up, pulling myself out of his grasp.

"Are you messing with me? Because it's not cool."

I was no longer able to maintain eye contact.

The world suddenly seemed pitch black, with shadows slowly suffocating me.

"I'm not."

I took as deep a breath as I could muster.

This was a dream.

It had to be.

No, I wasn't stupid enough to believe that.

"You're not joking."

He was acting far too quiet for this to be a joke.

"No."

My mind felt like a car spinning it's tires in mud.

He was asking me, the louse, the dishrag, the punching bag, to be his mate?

"I'm human."

"I know."

Of course he knew.

The same human he called an idiot, and ugly, and tortured for the pure joy of watching me squirm?

And since when did he want a mate?

Did he just want evil children?

To have a mate just for the heck of it, and I was the female he knew best?

Did he think I was the best life partner since I would help bring in an adequate food supply?

What was I to him then?

I had always thought he viewed us as partners in a job we both enjoyed.

Almost friends even, if you looked past the torture and stalking.

Was I just a food source to him?

A play thing?

And now after all he had done to me, he had the gull to lay above my bed and ask me to be his mate?

Was his kindness today just an act to get me in a good mood?

For what?

The top my head suddenly felt hot where he had touched me.

Was smoothing my hair his way of trying to flirt?

Every nerve in my body seemed on end.

Neuro still hadn't moved.

Was he waiting for an answer?

Now?

I swallowed, my head hurt from the emotional and mental strain.

I needed to think.

I tried to force my lips to move.

Nothing came out.

Finally, with a hoarse cracking sound to them, two words escaped.

"Get out."

There was silence above me.

But those words gave me strength.

"I'm sorry, I really am, but please, just get out."

If Neuro was serious, I wondered how he felt in asking me such a thing.

Nervous?

Awkward?

Annoyed?

There was still silence, and in my insanity I felt a stirring of anger.

"Neuro get out!"

There was instant movement above me, followed by the sound of my window opening and shutting.

I fell to the floor a second later, no longer needing to act strong.

My mind tried to process what had happened.

What I should do.

If I said no would he attack me and force me to be his mate?

Wait, I was getting a bit out of my head.

This was still Neuro.

I could still trust him.

Couldn't I?

Should I?

Something I had never even thought to ask myself.

Should I trust this man who sleeps over me every night, has strength enough to kill everyone on the planet, and who thinks only of himself?

A monster even.

But my friend.

He was my friend.

And I did trust him, whether or not I should, and he had always proved true to that trust.

Was that trust that had taken years to build so easy to break?

No, it wasn't.

And I respected him.

Looked up to him even, if not to his bullying ways.

Someone whom I had always thought was amazing.

Someone who was so very picky.

Someone who was so very vain.

I almost felt...

Flattered.

And I think I have a right to be.

Neuro, Mister "I'm Better Than Everything In Existence" had asked me to be his mate.

Whatever the reason was behind it, he had chosen me.

I was flattered.

Very flattered.

...

But now what?

What did I want to do?

Reject.

Reject?

What would happen to our friendship?

Would he leave?

Act like nothing had happened?

That would be impossible.

I remembered explaining why I didn't want to marry anyone to Kanae-chan.

He would hold me back.

Get in the way of my detective work.

Want a family.

Distract me from my goals.

Would Neuro?

_**GOD.**_

I can't believe I just went there.

. . . .

But if Neuro was serious...

If he wanted _me _for his mate, not just because he wanted a mate, but because he wanted _me_ as his mate.

I owed it to him to think about this seriously.

Even if it did take my thoughts down weird paths.

But what if he wasn't serious?

Would I waste my time thinking about this?

I wouldn't.

For a second.

So, I guess I'd just have to ask.

Ask why he wanted me for his mate.

It's just ask simple as that.

* * *

**Notes2:** Sorry for Yako's rant, but she thinks a lot about feelings, so I thought it was necessary. And I definitely wasn't going to turn her into one of those shouji heroines who's all: "OMG! He like, totally likes me! Like, what should I do?" -_- Yako would shoot herself first. I also figured knowing people and Neuro in particular so well, she'd be able to tell right away he was serious. Anywayz, hope you enjoyed!

**Neru-kun: **I don't. Lol, ok, I do a little. Glad you're enjoying it! Hope this update brought a little happiness with it! Ahahahahahahaha! I was in a weird mood. Ok, I am now too, but you can't tell as much. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! You'll have to think of your own comic questions this time (^_-)

**kurono-aijin: **Hmm, I donno. I think I would have made Yako react diff if he had said that. But the story-line only goes one way in my head, so no changing it now (^_^) That'd be a good one. Interesting to bring in since Jack would be dead by now. Maybe a relative who found the original Jack's dairy? It would be interesting. Thank you for reading and reviewing! And for leaving your idea!

**Mira Love: **She was. Flabbergasted. O.O So many ideas! I like the Amber Room a lot, though I had to Google what that was.

The holy grail is too often done, and unhistorical in nature, since the most common story that it was the chalice Jesus used is completely inaccurate, so that would have to be a no I fear. Sorry.

Jack the Ripper is possible, although also often done has a bit more gore in it which I think fits MTNN.

The Knights Templar is linked to the crusades, which I dislike, so probably not that either, though something involving the Free Masons is possible. Maybe Yako can get rid of that "No Women Allowed" policy I've always hated.

I think I'll do a bit more research on mysterious deaths and the like. See what I come up with. I'm also addicted to Phi Brain now. -_- Yes, I love it. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, and for your ideas. Sorry to rattle on...Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**LittleMissSugarLess: **Thank you for reading and reviewing! Hmm, while that is suitably gory, I'm not sure. And just to let everyone know, NO VAMPIRES! I've had quiet enough of those thank you. Not that you were suggesting that of course, but the blood bathing made me think of it. Rasputin's and interesting one. He was as creepy as heck. But I'm not sure if I want to mess with him...I'll have to think about it. Thank you so much for your ideas!

**starkeeper6: **Lol. Glad you're enjoying the story! I forgot to tell you in my previous response that I was excited you were starting to like Ishigaki. I'm planning on growing his character a little more, so look forward to it! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Seishin Okami: **Ahahaha. It's finally time right? I'm glad you're ok with KiraxGodai. I like them myself, but like I said, OC/MC can be SSSOOOO annoying. I'm glad you don't think they are. (^_^)Thank you so much! Staying IC is always a HUGE worry of mine. And I'm glad I'm not predictable. *sneakyface* It would reek if I was. (-_-:)*nods* I think it's important to know the thoughts of both sides on somethings. Keeps you from hating them, lol. Sorry you had to wait so long, but at your request, here it is! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!


	21. Spinning Coin Yako

**Disclaimer: I Don't own MTNN**

**Notes:**** Yako's POV **Notes to reviewers at end.

* * *

With a yawn I stretched.

I had only slept for a couple of hours and it was already ten in the morning.

An inspection of my ceiling told me Neuro wasn't here.

I wasn't sure if I should feel relieved or not.

It showed he had respected my request to leave, but my indicate he was angry at me.

At least it gave me some time to gather my thoughts.

I was surprised with myself with just how calm I felt though. At least compared to last night.

But then again, worrying never added to one's life span.

Clopping down the stairs in my half dazed state, I wondered where Neuro would be.

Probably the house he obtained during the Slift's case.

I just hoped the Itou-san's were keeping the grass cut.

I was too tired to cook, so I pulled out the biggest pot in my kitchen, and filled it with three boxes of cereal and half a gallon of milk.

I was only half way through it when the phone began to ring.

"Ewllo?" I struggled to swallow and speak simultaneously.

"YAKO-CHAN? IS THAT YOU?" Definitely Kanae-chan. And she sounded extremely frantic.

"Kanae-chan? What's wrong?" I dropped my spoon in the pot, one hand already searching the pile of junk on the table for my car keys.

"TURN ON YOUR T.V.!"

I stopped searching.

"Kanae-chan, seriously? I don't have tim-"

"NOW! ANY NEWS CHANNEL! I'M NOT PLAYING AROUND HERE!"

I fumbled for the remote in a slight panic.

**Please** don't tell me Neuro was so mad he killed/maimed someone or destroyed a town or something.

I finally gave up on the remote and hit the power button manually.

Tokyo News sprang on to the screen, and at the sight of the head line above the newscaster's heads my blood ran cold.

**I.**

**Was.**

**Going.**

**To.**

**Freaking.**

_**Kill.**_

**Him.**

Feed his bones to dogs and burn whatever may be left.

Grind him to a pulp and starve him to death in a perfectly white box.

Force him to watch every episode of John and Kate Plus Eight while wearing a tutu and then be eaten by John and Kate's eight bratty children.

No.

None of these punishments would be nearly enough.

I would have to come up with the worst thing I could possibly think of even if I had to live to be a hundred.

I was faintly aware of Kanae-chan yelling at me through the phone which now sat on the floor. I never knew I dropped it.

"Yako? IS IT TRUE? YAKO!"

The words, on national television, in bold, said this:

**The Piggish Detective and Her Assistant; Secretly Married?**

My brain finally started to process what was going on around me, blurring out Kanae-chan's voice with that of the announcers.

The female was speaking.

"And according to our source-who will remain antonymous, they have been for quite some time. Also they are currently _living_ together in an upscale private community. What's your take on this Bob?"

"Really Samera, I'm shocked they managed to keep it a secret for so long. Katsuragi-san is an extremely famous celebrity, but very little is known about her private life. That alone is a miracle, I mean, reporters can't even find out where this girl _lives_, and reporters now a days are practically impossible to shake. This Detective is obviously using her intelligence which has made her so famous to keep her private life as private as possible. The fact that-"

I ignored the debate about why I was so difficult to track down, or why my newest office was impossible to get into without an appointment (thank you Godai).

As if in slow motion I picked the phone back up. Kanae-chan was still yelling.

"It's not true." My words were soft but she heard them anyway. "Eh? They are? Then who started the rumors?"

I had a pretty good idea.

But I wasn't going to tell her that. I didn't need more drama right now.

"I don't know. Ah-I have to go, some one else is calling. Thanks for letting me know about this."

"No prob, call me back as soon as you can ok?"

"Will do."

I picked up the other line.

"YAKO? Have you seen the news?"

Oh god.

Todoroki-san.

And the number beeping through her call was mom's.

This was going to be a long morning.

.

.

.

It hadn't even been an hour before I got at least sixteen phone calls.

Included were Godai, some of his underlings-including Ane-chan, Usui-san, Crome-san, Higuchi-san, and other various police officers.

The most notable people who _didn't_ call were Kira, Ishigaki-san, and, of course, Neuro.

I snuck out of my house wearing a black wig and neutral clothing.

All I had to do was keep my head down and hopefully no one would notice me.

.

.

.

Thankfully, Neuro had taught me a thing or two about sneaking around, and thus I wasn't recognized. It also may have something to do with the fact I avoided main roads.

Pulling up to Neuro's house I noted the grass was (thankfully) well trimmed.

Sneaking to the front door, I fumbled to unlock it.

"Nogami-san!" I jumped a mile.

Itou-san was waving to me, walking in my direction with weeds in her hand.

"How are you doing? I saw the news. Sorry your secret got out."

I glanced around nervously. She was saying my name rather loudly.

"Please keep your voice down, I don't want reporters to show up." Itou-san looked surprised.

"Of course no reporters are going to show up. Not a single resident here would say a thing. As long as you're here we'll protect you."

I felt tears in my eyes.

It had been such a long night and day, and I was drained.

She spotted them in an instant.

Grabbing my arm she dragged me towards her house.

"You just sit down and rest up a bit. I'll give you some of that tea you had last time-you liked it a lot right? Nogami Neuro-san isn't at your place, and my husband isn't home right now anyway, so it can be just us girls."

And those were the kindest words I'd heard all day.

.

.

.

She didn't force me to talk.

Didn't ask questions.

Just patted my back and got me more tea when I ran out.

I didn't tell her.

I felt horrible, but I kept my situation to myself.

Like I said, I couldn't handle any more drama right now, and I didn't want my thoughts to be influenced.

I wanted them to be my own.

I couldn't thank her enough, and left almost completely calm.

First, I had to find Neuro.

He obviously wasn't here, and I couldn't think where else he would go.

So I called him.

I was an idiot not to think of it sooner.

But that's what exhaustion does to you I suppose.

"Yako-san?" The voice that picked up definitely wasn't Neuro.

"Ishigaki-san?" I was more than a little surprised.

"Yep~! You got it right~! Whatcha need?"

"Neuro. To talk to him I mean. Where is h-?"

My words were cut short by an odd sound on the other line.

"Yako?" Neuro's voice filled my head, and I didn't know if I was relieved or furious.

"Where are you?" I could hear music and laughter in the background. Two very un-Neuro-like things.

"At Jun's house. Wher-" "I'll be there in two minutes."

I lied.

I was there in one minute twenty seconds.

It's amazing what anger does for your driving speed.

I didn't even bother to knock.

Those who harbor fugitives don't get rights.

Neuro was in the hallway, obviously aware of my stomping up the porch steps.

"Ya-?"

He didn't even get the words out before my fist made contact with his face.

My foot followed suit by burying itself in his stomach.

He didn't even flinch.

God I hated I couldn't even hurt him by punching him.

The look on his face was priceless though.

Shock.

Complete shock.

There wasn't anger, or annoyance, or a grin of any sort.

And immediately I could tell something was off.

I just wasn't sure what.

"She hit him...she really hit him."

I looked around Neuro to see Ishigaki-san peeking around the corner. With him was a beefy, dark skinned scary looking person, an extremely pale and weak look man wearing a face mask and for some reason a potted tree was also leaning around the corner.

I turned my attention back to Neuro, the same look of shock hadn't left his face. And he was still speechless.

"HOW FREAKING _COULD_ YOU? I'M GONNA KILL YOU! I DIDN'T EVEN FREAKING_ ANSWER_ AND YOU ANNOUNCE TO THE WORLD WE'RE **MARRIED**? WHEN THE **HECK** DID_ THAT_ HAPPEN CAUSE_ I_ SURE AS **HECK **DIDN'T AGREE TO IT!"

Neuro blinked.

"What?"

I was gasping for breath, but at the sound of his puzzled voice I froze.

I looked at Ishigaki-san and company. I noted to potted tree had moved before looking back at Neuro.

"What do you mean what? Haven't you seen the news?"

Ishigaki-san stepped forward. "We've been playing video games all night and day. To celebrate my getting promoted to Police Chief."

"Oh. Congr-Police Chief?" It was my turn to look shocked.

"Yeah. The old one got demoted by the mayor for what he did to you, and I was next in line as head detective."

Reall-Wait, this wasn't the time for that. "Congratz. So no one has seen the news? The news which is currently reporting that Neuro and I are married?"

All three heads and a branch shook no.

Neuro was oddly quiet, and it felt as if he wanted to move forward and move backward at the same time, but the gravity of both was forcing his to stay in place.

"Congratz though~! I didn't know you two were mar-" "**We're not.**"

I glared at Ishigaki-san. I had to be clear from the beginning.

Neuro didn't comment.

"Ah~! That's right~! You just rejected Neuro~! How could you be married?"

My breath caught at this comment, and the two men...and plant?...with Ishigaki0san looked shocked.

"Eh? She did?" I turned to Neuro, who didn't make eye contact.

"Uwah! I shouldn't have said anything!" Ishigaki-san broke out in a cold sweat.

"I'm so sorry Neuro~! I swear it just slipped out! Forgive me please?"

Neuro glared at Ishigaki-san, who showed no sign of fear, merely worry.

"I didn't reject him." My voice was small, and the instant the words left my mouth I regretted them.

Words like that left false hope.

All eyes were on me, and Neuro took a step forward.

"You didn't?"

I quickly spoke. "I didn't accept either. I just needed time to think. And I need to talk to you too. But first we have to figure out who started this rumor."

I glanced at the others as I said the last sentence.

"Sure, we can help." Ishigaki-san answered my unasked question. "But where should we-"

"Ish-I-Gak-I~!" The door flew open, revealing a surprisingly familiar face.

"Sorry I'm late~! Miko-chan wouldn't let me leave last night~. And how could I say no to such a beaut-" He cut his words short as he spotted me and Neuro. It was Yori-san, the same Yori-san who was the so called painter I had met at Border Estates. I had exchanged a few texts with him, but had sensed early on he was a player and it was best not to let him get too close.

"Yako-chan~! What a surprise~! What are you doing here?" He glanced at Neuro. "Hello Nogami-san." his greeting wasn't enthusiastic.

"They're my guests." Ishigaki-san spoke up. "We were just about to help them with this whole thing on the news."

"Thing on the news?" Yori-san was hugging me, and from the look on Neuro's face it'd be better for his health if he let go. I pried him off.

"About Yako-san and Neuro being married."

"What about it? They are anyway." Yori-san took off his shoes.

"Eh? No they're not."

Yori-san paled. "Yes they are. They live together at the same private community as Miko-chan."

"That was just a cover. We're not really-"

Wait.

Where had I heard this before?

My mind went back to the news cast.

"_You _were the unnamed source?" The words came out like word vomit, with me not thinking of the consequences.

Yori-san turned blue.

"I _may _have mentioned it to one of my girlfriends. And she _may _have been a reporter. But I **swear** I had no idea she was going to make a story of it! I thought it was a well known fact!"

Ishigaki-san's face looked almost scary as he grabbed Yori-san's collar.

"How many times have I told you not to blab about others lives? You are going to go right down to the nearest station and take back your statement."

"But I didn't get tea yet!"

"**Now.**"

.

.

.

I learned that the men celebrating with Ishigaki-san were his brothers from the same orphanage, and apparently so was Yori-san.

I couldn't help but smile at how much they respected Ishigaki-san.

Dai-san was the beefy guy, and apparently he was unofficial head of the unorganized Yakuza wannabe's in town. Not that it'd call them that to their face of course. Though they were no where in Godai's league.

Kazuhiro-san was a self made muti-millionaire, and complete germaphobe.

And Mikio-san who was the plant. Well, supposedly he was a person disguised as a plant, but he fooled me. He also was apparently a hobo. And proud of it. Though how a hobo could afford all the expensive gadgets he pulled out was beyond me.

After meeting everyone, and saying my goodbyes I finally managed to get out of there before being roped into some random video game.

Neuro wasn't kidding when he said it was hard to escape.

Neuro came with me, not having spoken since he had asked if I hadn't rejected him.

The top of my head felt hot again, and I wondered if it was symptom of what happened last night until I saw my reflection in the car window.

Neuro's hand hovered just above my head, and I realized this would be about the time he would normally throw me into the car.

He quickly withdrew as I opened the door, walking over to the passenger side of the car without so much as a fuss about him driving.

I couldn't shake the feeling he was walking on egg shells with me, as if I was his angry boss and he didn't want to tick me off in any way.

I started the car.

It was time for the talk.

* * *

**Notes2:** Gosh won't they just talk already. Anywayz, hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for reading!

**Neru-kun:** Ahahahahaha! That would freak her out! However, I have the feeling Neuro isn't a roses type. More of a Venus Flytrap if you ask me. Sorry you didn't get to see the talk yet! Hope I can write it soon! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Seishi-Okami:** And thus why Yako knew something was up, lol. And Neuro is _way _prouder then he'll ever admit. Obviously he's not attracted to her looks after all. All that's left is her kindness-not likely-and her brains. I wonder which it was. (^_^) Well, instead of resolving it I made it worse. (-_-;) W-well...I'm sure they'll figure it out...probably...Anyway, thank you so much for reading and reviewing!


	22. How the Coin Lands Yako

**Disclaimer: MTNN = Not mine**

**Notes: Yako's POV **Notes to reviewers at end. Also, there's a bit of a catch to my updating so quickly. I'm leaving for a long weekend and don't know if the place I'm staying at has WiFi. So you may not get any chapters till I get back. Sorry!

* * *

I took a deep breath as the car pulled out onto the highway.

First things first.

"Sorry for punching you back there." I rubbed my eyebrow with the base of my hand. "I seriously thought you were the one who started that rumor, and was a bit to shook up to handle it properly. I'm sorry."

Neuro glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, still not making eye contact. "As if your feeble punch could hurt me. You're being far too haughty louse."

I almost laughed.

Thank goodness he was still talking normally. It was a small comfort, but a comfort all the same.

"Of course I didn't think my punch would actually hurt, but it's the principle of the thing."

Neuro didn't respond.

I was no longer sure if his silence came from his trying to be careful of his words or is he was angry with me.

Would he be angry?

He didn't seem upset that I had tried to beat him up after I apologized.

And he now knew I hadn't rejected him, so maybe he wasn't.

But since when did Neuro need a reason to be angry?

We pulled into the driveway of his house, and I kept an eye out to make sure the Itou-san's weren't around before making a beeline towards the door.

Neuro waited patiently as I fumbled with the key.

His speech may be the same, but his actions were still odd.

He didn't climb through the nearest window and leave me fighting to open the door, nor did he pick me up and throw me through the window before him.

Finally the door opened, and he followed me inside.

Normally I would have brought him back to my house, but I was a tad worried my mother would show up later. She had threatened to take the first plane back and I didn't want her to walk in on me and Neuro having a very important and very private talk.

Locking the door behind me, I didn't even bother with the fridge (not like Neuro was going to keep it stocked, and I wasn't feeling hungry anyway) and sat down on the couch.

Neuro stood at the door way.

I pointed to the seat across from me, crossing my legs Indian style as I did. "Sit."

He walked over and sat down.

Silence filled the room again, and with slight dread I realized I was the one who had to speak first.

A necessary talk, but one I wasn't looking forward to.

I searched my mind for the route which I thought would have the best out come.

Which would be the best questions to ask.

Well, I had never been one to treat Neuro tactfully, so I suppose I didn't need to pretend now.

"Why do you want me to be your mate?"

The words came out stronger than I had expected, and I felt relief as soon as the silence was broken.

What was I so worried about again?

Neuro and I could always figure out anything together. This would be no exception.

Neuro's eyes finally met mine for the first time today.

"Because I don't want you to leave my side."

The words were so simple, and yet spoken with no arrogance or the usual haughtiness he addressed me with.

How hard had it been for him to speak so honestly? Almost humbly?

I felt my heart squeeze slightly at the thought.

"I won't."

The words were natural for me to say, and as soon as I said them I knew they were true.

"I won't leave you even if I'm not your mate. You'll always be my business partner. Knowing that, do you still want me as your mate?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to stop being the one that is with you the most, who torments you the most, and the one who knows you the best."

"Oi, you can leave the tormenting part out."

I smiled, and Neuro followed suit with a much eviler looking one, his eyes getting the gleam back to them.

"I believe I love you."

The words were said without emotion, and with a tad of the usual arrogance to them.

"You believe?" I couldn't quite get myself to finish the question. Hearing Neuro even speak of love seemed surreal, let alone him mentioning his own.

"I do."

I rubbed my head.

"And why do you think that?"

"Jun told me my symptoms matched." Like it was some sort of disease.

"Because you want to be my most important person and want to stay by my side?"

"Yes. He said those were symptoms of love."

I sighed.

Ishigaki-san.

"Couldn't they just be signs that you're possessive?"

Neuro cocked his head.

"Are they?"

Had this seriously all been because of a misunderstanding?

"Yes, they are. Do you think I'm beautiful or want to kiss me?"

"No."

The response came so fast it hurt my pride as a woman a bit.

"Well, there you have it then, you don't love me. You just like me as a friend and are a bit overly possessive is all."

Neuro considered this.

"I still want you as my mate."

I mentally face palmed.

Seriously Neuro?

"If you don't love me why in the world would you want me as your mate?"

"So then I do love you?"

Gah! "No, I'm asking you why you want me for a mate if you don't think I'm beautiful or want to kiss me?"

Neuro looked put out. "And here you're supposed to be the expert of feelings. Shouldn't you tell me?"

This was getting us no where.

"Please just answer the question."

Neuro was silent as he considered it.

"Because ever since I thought to make you my mate I want it to happen."

Ok, interesting.

"Why? What difference would there be?"

Neuro looked taken aback for a second.

"Because then I could touch you again. Jun said women don't like being touched too much by a man who isn't their mate."

So that's why he had been so stand-offish.

And it was true to an extent.

"Well, that is somewhat true..."

"And I have thought you were amazing before. You seemed brighter than the world around you, but that's from you being so much more evolved than any other human."

I was surprised at this. "When was that?"

"It's happened a few times. The one I felt it the strongest though was after you solved the ABC murders. You were so bright, so well evolved..." A grin cracked his face, and his eyes spun slightly.

He looked so proud.

Proud of his "creation" no doubt, thinking he was the sole reason I was so "evolved".

"I want such a creature as my mate, and you are the only one."

"Even if they're a human?"

"As if I could find some one better at home."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that.

But I was glad I had talked to him, everything seemed much clearer now.

"And you still want me to be your mate?"

"Yes."

This answer came just as quickly as the no had.

"Then you're going to have to give me some time to think. I owe it to you to think about this very seriously."

"Of course you do."

I snorted.

As arrogant as ever.

.

.

.

It had been three hours since Neuro left, bound for Ishigaki-san's house again. I was pleased to see Neuro was 'making friends with the locals' so to speak, but I wished Ishigaki-san wouldn't try to be so helpful.

It was giving me a headache, and my thoughts still felt muddled.

The answer should be so easy-shouldn't it?

A no.

But my heart kept squeezing at thinking just how earnest Neuro had been.

How sincere.

But was I really willing to consider Neuro as a potential boyfriend when he didn't even love me?

Did I love him?

I didn't think so.

But I was surprised at myself for not answering with a definite no.

I respected him so much, and I couldn't ignore the squeezing in my heart every time I thought of his serious and sincere face.

But was I willing to let my feelings grow when the other party didn't even know what love was?

My stomach growled.

I needed food before I could think properly.

Searching the fridge and cupboards proved fruitless, unsurprisingly.

So I donned the wig and headed back out.

I would just have to go to more than one restaurant to avoid anyone from recognizing me from my eating habits.

.

.

.

I was at a pizzeria for my fourth restaurant when I heard; "Yako?"

I froze, third pizza slice in mouth. Crap. I'd been recognized.

I turned to find Kira holding a box of pizza, Bandana standing next to her.

"Kira! You scared me! I thought you were a reporter or something! Hello again."

I waved at Bandana, who nodded and mumbled that he'd "take the pizza to Oya-bun" before leaving the building.

Kira sat down across from me.

"I was just getting pizza for some of Godai's men, but he'll deliver it for me." She hiked a thumb at the shut door.

"So, what's up? I saw the news. Dreadfully funny, wouldn't you say?" A smile was on her face, and I couldn't help think she was emphasizing the word 'dreadful' more than she was 'funny'.

"Yeah, that's a whole mess. It should be cleared up later though. We got the "source" to take back his statement."

"'We' being the parrot and you? Where is the parrot by the way? He hardly ever lets you off your leash."

I considered the girl? woman? fox? in front of me.

If anyone could give me insight on Neuro's ideas of a "mate" it would be her.

So I told her the whole story.

She didn't look surprised.

"So he proposed huh?" I noted Neuro wasn't the only one who had learned new words.

"I suppose."

"How are you going to answer?"

I fidgeted.

"Well, I'm not going to "be his mate" as he put it, but I was seriously considering dating him. I feel crazy just thinking about it though. I mean, Neuro? Really? I doubt he really loves me. I don't even know if he can feel love."

Kira thought for a second. "Why don't you think he can feel love?"

"Well, he's always so logical. And I've never seen him feel affection towards anything before-though I had always assumed he somewhat viewed me as a friend. And, well, he's not human. I'm not sure if he actually can truly love someone." My worries left my mouth before I remembered who I was talking to.

Kira's eyes darkened.

"So you don't think I truly love Shinobu?"

I wished I could take my words back.

"Sorry! I really think you do! But you _are _half human after all. Maybe it's extremely rude or even racist...no, specist?...to say something like that, but I really need to know. Honestly, even if I'm being a complete moron and jerk. Do you think Neuro can love? He only knew the "symptoms" of love was when I talked to him, and didn't know what love really was."

Kira considered me carefully. "You're really taking this seriously huh? Well, I don't hold your questions against you. You have no experience in the matter after all. But let me ask you something in turn. Do you like spicy food?"

I was surprised. But even if the question seemed pointless I knew Kira never wasted her words.

"I love them-the hotter the better."

Kira smiled. "So a red pepper wouldn't seem spicy at all to you huh?"

"Not really."

"Shinobu doesn't eat spicy foods as much, and even green peppers have a bit of kick to him."

She paused.

"My father was a human, and after hum I was raised by human's since I was eight. I was lucky. Most of my kind are left to fend on their own after the first year, fighting just to survive. I was surrounded by people who loved me. So while, yes, I am deeply affected by love, I don't have the same feeling about it as someone who has grown up without it."

She was talking about Neuro.

I struggled to imagine what it felt like to be thrown to the wolves after only a year of being alive.

A horrible thought.

"Now, if someone had never eaten spicy foods before, and you gave them a red pepper, do you think they'd take a bite and say "this is spicy"?"

"No, they'd probably say it was hot or burned."

Kira's smile was warmer by now.

"They'd only be able to describe the 'symptoms' of the flavor huh?"

I felt like my blood was ice.

"I'm not criticizing you-you don't deserve it. I just want you to see the whole picture. I know you're freaked out, and I know you're unsure, but think of how Neuro feels. He doesn't even have an idea of what emotions he's feeling."

She stood up.

"You're an amazing person Yako. Most people would run screaming from the very idea, but you fought any of those types of feelings you had because you wanted to be honest with Neuro."

I still felt frozen in place, a mix of anger at myself and insecurity fighting each other.

Kira patted my head.

"You should still be honest with yourself though. Don't date Neuro out of pity. You worked so hard to be honest with him, so be honest. If it's you I'm sure it'll turn out fine."

"Thank you."

I think it was the most sincere thing I'd said all day.

.

.

.

I left the restaurant soon after speaking with Kira.

Mind made up, I headed to Ishigaki-san's house.

"Yako-chan~! You're back~!" Yori-san was the one who opened the door. "The news report of your relationship should be up soon~. Want to watch it with us?"

I mumbled something as I walked past him.

I wasn't sure what I said.

Walking into the living room shocked me out of my dazed stupor.

Neuro was sitting in the middle of the couch, squeezed in-between Ishigaki-san and Dai-san.

The potted tree leaned on a bean bag, and Kazuhiro-san sat in a box covered in plastic, face mask and gloves on.

What was most shocking was watching Neuro and Ishigaki-san interact. Ishigaki-san looked like he was trying to get Neuro to eat some cookies with an anime character on them, and Neuro was taking the T.V. remote from him instead.

"Yako-san~!" Ishigaki-san sprang from his seat, pushing a plate of cookies at me. "You'll eat these right~!"

I ignored him and looked at Neuro.

Slower than Ishigaki-san, Neuro stood up as well.

"I've made a decision."

The room went quiet, and I immediately wondered if I should have taken this outside-reporters looking for me or not.

"Um,..." I glanced at the others.

No, I should be strong and just speak.

Ishigaki-san was faster than my thoughts.

**"Everyone out!"**

He grabbed the potted tree by the truck, and the corner of Kazuhiro-san's box and pulled them out of the room with him.

"Wait~! We wanted to see..." the voices faded as the others went around the corner.

I opened my mouth to speak.

"Whew! They're gone. Go ahead."

I turned deadpan to see Ishigaki-san standing in the doorway, all smiles.

"Um, could you leave too? Sorry, I know it's your house..."

Ishigaki-san jumped. "Right! Sorry~!"

And I heard the front door slam, leaving me and Neuro alone.

"You decided."

Neuro spoke.

I nodded.

"I'm not going to be your mate. However, I do love you. And I believe you love me. But if we both have the same types of love, I don't know."

This is what I had decided.

"You may love me as a woman, and I may only love you as a friend. Or perhaps I love you as a man and you only love me as a friend. Or perhaps either way the feeling is mutual. But I'm not going to make such an important promise while we don't know."

Neuro was perfectly silent, watching me with such intent that it's as if he was reading the words instead of hearing them.

"But neither am I going to turn my back on this feeling. So how about we date? Trial mates, so to speak. And, together, we'll figure out just what this feeling is."

Neuro walked forward slowly, his hand coming to a rest on my head.

"Look at just how brightly you're shining louse."

He smiled.

"How simply you solved the puzzle."

I smiled back.

Of course everything was puzzles to him.

A second later the front door burst open, and all who had just been forced out came running in.

"Congratz~!" "You did it!" "Wow~!" "Got yourself a woman now huh?" *rustle* (from the tree before it spoke) "Congratz guys!"

I glared at them.

"Where's the bug?"

The tree pointed to the coffee table.

* * *

**Notes2:** Real progress here! Hope your annoyance at Yako has subsided!

**Neru-kun: **I'm glad you found it so funny. (^_^) I know some things amuse me, but not everyone shares the same sense of humor. I have a soft spot for that house. He'll never get rid of it...not as long as I have a say anyway. Thank you so much for reading, and for reviewing so fast! I always check for reviews every hour on the hour after I've published a chapter. Thank **you **for reading. (^_^)

**Seishin-Okami:** Ahahaha, Poor Neuro didn't know how to deal with the feeling of love. And I tried to put myself in Yako's shoes. I tend to be a bit more violent with my feelings then her though, so perhaps that wasn't my best idea. (-_-:) Well, I like how it turned out, so it's fine. I hope you don't dislike her for her actions. I thank you for saying good stories, lol. I certainly haven't been able to control mine for sometime now. I just keep typing and the words keep flowing. Glad you're enjoying it besides the craziness! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! You reviewed pretty fast too. (^_^) Thanks for that!


	23. Reaction Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN.**

**Notes: ****Yako's POV. Notes to reviewers at end. Sorry for the wait!**

* * *

I have to admit I felt nervous as Neuro climbed onto the ceiling above me.

Yes, he did that every night, but that was before we were...dating.

How impossible sounding was that?

I could hardly believe it myself, and I wondered if when I woke up in the morning I'd find it all to be some weird dream.

The lights went out as I hit the lamp's switch, and I found myself looking up at the two shining green eyes looking down at me.

I was supposed to be used to this, but I found myself squirming slightly, pinned under the unblinking eyes.

Did he always watch me sleep so intently?

I knew he didn't sleep much, but I'd never considered what Neuro did when I was sleeping. Obviously he laid above me on the ceiling, but did he actually sleep during that time? Or did he spend that time staring at me so unwaveringly?

It was definitely an unnerving thought.

"Having trouble sleeping?"

Neuro's voice shocked me out of my thoughts. He usually didn't say anything no matter how long it took me to fall asleep.

"Only a bit."

_Be honest._

"I was wondering if you always stare at me like that when I sleep."

Neuro's eyes didn't even blink, though he paused a second before answering. "I suppose. Does it bother you?"

Did it?

"It makes me nervous more than anything. I've never dated anyone before, but I know our relationship isn't normal."

"Dated?"

"Been trial mates."

"And why aren't we normal?"

There were far too many things to mention.

"Well, boyfriends don't usually sleep on their girlfriend's ceiling."

"Then where do you suggest I sleep?"

I hadn't thought that far ahead.

Very suddenly Neuro landed feet first on the bed, spinning to sit next to me.

"Is this better?"

My breath caught in my throat, I wondered faintly if Neuro knew what he was doing.

"No. Just sleep on the ceiling like you normally do." My voice came out with a bit of a croak.

"My my, what a picky girlfriend I have."

I reddened slightly in the dark.

It was Neuro's first time calling me that.

Neuro climbed back onto the ceiling without seeming too bothered by my indecisiveness.

"It's fine if you act normally." The words were out of my mouth before I knew I was speaking them.

Neuro sat on the ceiling, his glowing eyes meeting mine again.

"Is it."

Not a question.

"I don't know how to act like a girlfriend, and I doubt you know how to act like a boyfriend, so won't it just be best to act like ourselves?"

Neuro's eyes narrowed in thought. "I suppose so. Though I was looking forward to you becoming a more obedient piggy."

"Oy! What do you think a girlfriend is?"

Neuro laughed evilly as I threw a pillow at him.

'Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all.' I thought to myself as I tried to breath around the pillow Neuro was smothering me with.

.

.

.

Sitting on the couch I stared intently at the phone in front of me.

To call or not to call?

Ok, Kanae-chan would _**KILL**_ me if I didn't tell her right away.

But then again, she was already going to kill me since she wasn't the first to know.

And I wasn't looking forward to her "I told you so" speech.

Maybe I could tell her and Todoroki-san and Kira at the same time? Like a girl conference?

No, Kanae-chan would want to speak to me privately, and well, I think it's best not to mention this to Todoroki-san for now.

She would definitely flip out.

I picked up the phone.

Kanae-chan first.

The number dialed, there was no going back now.

"Yako-chan! I saw the interview on the news last night! You got the rumor all cleared up."

I cringed inwardly.

I had forgotten about that.

"Yeah, turns out it was a loose lipped friend of mine who didn't know Neuro and I being married was a cover story. We got him to retract his statement though."

"I'm glad you got it figured out. You seemed so freaked on the phone." That's when I thought Neuro had started the rumor.

"Yeah, well, a lot's happened since then."

"Eh? Are you on a new case?"

"Um, not exactly. It's kinda funny actually-not comical more ironic. In an unexpected turn of events Neuro and I are kinda dating."

There was a noticeable lack of screaming from the other end.

"Are you joking with me right now?" Kanae-chan's voice was deadly serious.

"No, but I'm rather surprised by it myself."

**_"KKYYYAAAA!"_**

And there was the shriek.

I held the phone away from my ear, and Neuro even looked up from his web searching at the sound.

"**O.M.G!** Yako-chan! Spill!"

I glanced back at Neuro who was now listening half-mindedly.

"W-well, there's not really anything to spill."

This relationship was so complicated I had no idea how to even begin to explain it to Kanae-chan.

"Oh please! Who confessed? You or him?"

"I-I guess he did." If you call that confessing.

"You guess? This is the most romantic thing to ever happen in your life an you guess?"

I think she was overestimating Neuro's romantic capabilities.

"It wasn't really romantic-" "The last time anything remotely romantic happened to you was in first grade, so believe me when I say this is romantic. Is he dating you seriously?"

If by seriously she meant he wanted me to be his mate in the future, than yes, yes he was.

"Yeah."

Kanae-chan squealed.

"For you to even know that much it must have been really romantic!"

It seriously wasn't.

But I had to admit Kanae-chan _may _have been right about Neuro liking me before.

Perhaps she was better at reading relationships then I thought.

Though what grounds she based that thought on were completely flawed. And I had no idea when Neuro actually starting wanting me to be his mate.

Kanae-chan's ex-boyfriends also served as a pretty good track record. So never mind her relationship guru-ness.

It was a good twenty minutes before I could peel myself away from talking to her.

The next person I called was my mother.

Who was tickled pink.

Well, she didn't know Neuro practically lived with me though. If she did I had a feeling she'd be singing a very different tune.

She sounded in tears as she told me not to let him get away.

At this point I wasn't sure if **_I_ **could get away if I tried.

Heaven knows it'd be easy enough for Neuro to find me.

And he hadn't let me out of his sight for more than a minute since our agreement.

I barely even got bathroom breaks.

Not that it surprised me.

He had been treating me like a stray cat who he's trying to tame since he "confessed" and he wasn't about to let his new pet run off so quickly.

But I really felt I had to talk to some people in person, and thus the reason I was sneaking out the bathroom window.

"Why don't you just tell him you're leaving?"

I almost lost my grip on the window sill, which would have been really bad seeing how I was five stories up.

Kira yawned as she effortlessly slid onto the sill next to me.

"Then he'll just end up following me. He's like a lost puppy."

Kira grinned at this analogy. "I suppose that's true. Where are you headed may I ask?"

"I was actually going to report to you and Godai-san. I figured I'd find you at his office."

"I just came from there. Shinobu looks so cute when he's stressed~."

I wondered to myself if Kira treated the man she loved as evilly as Neuro treated me.

I hoped for Godai's sake she didn't.

"What's this report then?" Kira leaned backwards, making me fear she would fall backwards.

"Neuro and I are...trial mates." I figured she would understand this better then dating.

"Wow. Such a big step. And the first day of you being his trial mate you're sneaking out the window."

"I suppose so." Not like it was anything new.

"Well,if you're going to be so calm about it, I see no reason to stop you. Maybe I'll give you a hand though. Can I borrow a hair clip?"

She didn't even bother with the facade of holding the ledge as she held a hand out.

I, on the other hand, fumbled to pull a clip off while holding on.

"Here. But what do you need it for?"

Kira smiled as she pulled out her Book of Thoughts, doodling on one of the pages. She flashed me her finished drawing, which was a portrait of me, before snapping my hair clip around it. She didn't even hesitate before sticking the wad in her mouth and swallowing the picture and my hair clip whole.

I groaned inwardly.

I loved that hair clip.

A puff of smoke, and Kira was gone-leaving me staring at a perfect copy of myself.

"I'll keep the parr-Neuro busy while you have your little chat with Godai." Besides the parrot slip up she sounded just like me. It was a little freaky to know I could have a doppelganger running around at any given time.

"What did you need the hair clip for?"

My favorite hair clip you so easily ate.

"To smell like you. Any human would just be fooled by the image, but Neuro would sense something was off immediately if I left the bathroom smelling like my old foxy self."

That was true.

"So go enjoy your talk with Shinobu. I'll keep Neuro busy."

Kira reached to open the bathroom door before turning slightly and giving me the scariest look I had ever seen from her. "But don't get to close to him now. I'd hate for you to become the enemy."

At least Godai was really well loved.

_Really _well loved.

.

.

.

Godai looked exhausted.

I felt bad for him the instant I saw him.

Neuro always worked him to the bone, and I had a feeling Kira was rather demanding of his time as well.

"Yako." His voice even sounded defeated as he glanced up at me, turning right back to his paperwork after seeing who had walked in the door.

"Hey Godai. You ok? You don't look too good."

Pulling his glasses off Godai rubbed his eyes. "Yeah, just a lot of work to do, and it's stuff I can't delegate."

"Why don't you just ask Kira to help you?" If she thought it'd mean more Godai time for her I was sure she'd jump at the chance.

Godai blushed and looked away, returning his glasses to his nose. "Like I could ask my girlfriend to help me with work."

I held back the urge to pat his shoulder for encouragement.

Kira could have eyes anywhere.

"So you admit Kira's your girlfriend now?"

"I NEVER DENIED IT!"

I smiled as the old Godai revived a bit with my teasing.

"You like her that much huh?"

Godai was now looking out the window in an obvious attempt to hide his blush.

It didn't hide his red ears though.

"Yeah, I like her."

Some of the sweetest words I'd ever heard from Godai.

I wondered if I should suggest he brush up on his Wario Kart skills. Well, that might just confuse him more than anything.

Kira was currently helping me keep Neuro off my back, and I wondered what I could do to help her.

"Are you serious about her?"

I thought for a moment Godai wouldn't even answer the question this time, he took so long to respond.

"O-Of course I am! Why else would I date her?"

Had Kira told Godai about her not being human? I'd have to ask her that later.

"He was searching for rings online." Ane-chan had walked in the room, and must have been eavesdropping this whole time.

Godai was instantly standing, fists on the desk in front of him.

"WHAT THE HECK? HAVE YOU BEEN LOOKING AT MY COMPUTER HISTORY?"

"You left it up on your screen Oyabun-sama, and I saw it when I was cleaning. I wasn't peeking-just doing my job." She seemed used to Godai's out bursts. I just hoped Kira wouldn't view her as an 'enemy'.

You don't want to get on Kira's bad side.

"IT WAS JUST A FREAKING WHIM! I WAS WONDERING WHAT ONE COST IS ALL!" **  
**

Ane-chan and I nodded in unison.

Godai seemed slightly reassured.

"D-Don't go blabbing your mouths off to Kira. I don't want to freak her out."

She would be thrilled.

Though I couldn't help but wonder what she had done to get Godai to do such a thing-even on a whim.

Well, maybe he was just like those girls who already have a wedding in mind before they even fall in love.

Who was I to judge?

Ane-chan left after leaving more paperwork on Godai's desk, and I saw no more reason to beat about the bush.

"Neuro and I are dating."

If Godai had been drinking something he would have done a spit take. As it was, he just ended up choking on air.

"WHAT THE FREAKING HECK? YOU AND THE MONSTER?"

I pointed out he was dating "the monster"'s sister.

"LIKE THAT MAKES IT FREAKING KOSHER!"

He calmed down a bit as he noted m calm expression.

"Are you sure about this? If you get in too deep I'm not sure if even I can get you out of that mess. Or if the entire Japanese army can for that matter."

True.

But his worries were unfounded.

Probably.

Godai sighed.

"If it was anyone but him I'd freaking work him over once as a warning not to mess with you. I wouldn't be able to do that to that guy though."

A good thing to know for future reference.

I suppose that's what Yakuza big brothers normally do.

"Don't worry, I can handle Neuro."

Godai snorted at that.

"Yeah. You're the only one."

And I couldn't completely disagree with him.

* * *

Notes2: Well, I'm in a bit of a writing slump, so this was a bit forced. Hope you enjoyed it anyway!

**Mira Love:**Don't worry, I'm not bothered by anyone's comments. I just want to keep all the MC likable is all. Thank you for backing me up though. (^_^) I didn't think she'd be over excited either. NxY will continue, and I'll try to add some GxK too, but they'll be a bit harder to progress. Anyway, thank you for reading and reviewing! Hope you liked this chapter too!

**Teru Kisuke: ** I'm glad you thought it was realistic! I agree her response was a bit scary, but I tried to imagine what it would be like [as a girl] to have someone you were always slightly scared of because of how strong they were, yet always viewed as safe confess to you while laying directly above you on the ceiling. It was a scary thought that needed a scary response. I LOVE Ishigaki and friends too. They're very random and funny together. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Neru-kun:** Ahahaha. I like the peppers too. And you're welcome to stalk. (^_^) Yeah, Godai's getting a bit OOC *shifty eyes* but I have no reference to go on with him and relationships. So I'm just making him a tsundere in the end. Sorry for the wait! THank you for reading and reviewing!

**Nomaen :** Yep, food is perfect for them. And I pretty much explained how it's gonna go in the beginning of this chapter. But It'll be progressing slightly faster since they'll be more aware of each other. Ahahaha. That video was funny. (^_^) Neuro would rather die though. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**starkeeper6:** I think Neuro just doesn't know wat to do with him. Ishigaki is obviously not normal. Neuro is rather childish. I'm glad you're entertained! I hope this chapter was entertaining as well! THank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**kurono-aijin :** Why thank you. And you'll have to see! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Seishin Okami: **It did! I"m exhausted though. Too much work to catch up on. It'll definitely be interesting, lol. And Neuro's branching out! It certainly would be interesting O.O No prob, I have a lot of ideas to work with. I'll figure something out. THank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**LittleMissSugarLess: **Took awhile right? Lol. And that might take even longer. Stay tuned! THank you for reading and reviewing!


	24. Crystal Lie Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: Neuro's POV. **SO many reviews in such a short period of time! I got so excited that even though I still have writers block I forced another chapter out. I just hope I didn't substitute quantity for quality. Notes to reviewers at end.

* * *

Yako had been antsy all morning.

"I have to call my mom too." I nodded, knowing she was talking to me merely to calm herself down, and didn't really expect an answer.

It was rare to see her this agitated.

Especially when she was about to talk to people.

Normally talking calmed her.

"Hi, mom?"

She paced the office.

"What? How in the world could Kanae-chan have told you already? Was she texting you while she talked to me?"

I smiled at Yako's distressed face, only half paying attention to the computer in front of me.

Parent's opinions were supposed to be very important to humans.

"I can't believe you didn't call me first Yako! Such big news!"

Yako's mother sounded out of breath, and I reminded myself to ask Yako her name later.

It wouldn't do to forget it next time I saw her.

"Yes, well, Kanae-chan's been mad at me lately, so it was kind of a peace offering."

Yako plopped down on the couch.

"Well, I have to say I saw this coming. Who couldn't? Obviously Nogami-san was interested in you and I couldn't imagine you dating anyone else."

Was that how we looked?

"Mom! I know you think you saw it coming this whole time, but it's really just a recent thing. We just started dating so don't get so excited."

Yako swung her dangling legs, a pouting look on her face.

"Now don't say that. If you keep up that attitude he's going to get bored of you."

I chuckled to myself. As if the piggy could bore me.

"Don't let him get away now."

Yako sputtered out protests as she watched me chuckle even louder.

What was she going to do? Lock me in a steel box? As if that could hold me for even a second.

Yako hung up shortly after, muttering to herself about a mother's overreacting imagination.

Glancing around the room she stood up and headed for the bathroom door. As the door shut I focused back on the computer, blinking as I realized I had received an E-mail.

A puzzle smelling email.

Though weak, it reminded me I hadn't had a true puzzle in over a two weeks, finding myself munching on synthetic riddles submitted to the website Yako had created.

Slim pickings. Even if the riddles were good, there usually was little "evil intent" behind them. Though some surprised me, making me think those people had really wanted to stump "Yako".

It wasn't even her answering them, but I doubted any would fool her.

She had evolved far too much.

"Yako." The girl walked out of the bathroom with a yawn.

"What is it Neuro?"

She resumed her usual newspaper reading position.

I grabbed her by the top of her head, squeezing slightly.

"We've got a puzzle."

.

.

.

Yako was being oddly quiet, only mentioning once I was driving rather fast, and she didn't even hold onto my sleeve like she normally did.

I wondered if all females changed when they had a mate?

Wait, trial mate.

Boyfriend?

So maybe she was planning on being more obedient.

I smiled at the back of her head.

I'd just have to cure her of such thoughts. We _had_ promised to act normally after all.

As soon as the car came to a stop I threw Yako out the window, watching her quickly turn to land on her feet.

It seemed I would have to up my throwing speed again.

Jun and the female cop were already at the scene, which I was surprised to see. I didn't think Jun would be at crime scenes anymore since becoming chief.

"Neuro~chan! Yako~san!" Ishigaki bounded over to where we stood, a huge grin plastered on his face.

A titter of laughter came from the other officers, but they seemed more amused than mocking.

"Jun. Todoroki-san~!" I caught myself at the last minute, remembering that while I had reverted to acting normally around Jun, the female cop was a different story.

"Since when have you two been so close as to using first names?" The female cop spoke the words with disgust.

"Eh~~? Neuro-tan-" "**I told you not to call me that.**" "Neuro-chan and I having been hanging out a lot lately~! We're good friends! Right Neuro-chan?"

I forced a smile.

"It's a pleasure to hang out with you Jun-san~!"

"Eh? Why so cold~?"

I ignored Jun's question and asked one of my own.

"So what's going on here?"

"It's a not so simple case of robbery. The person who was robbed was one Andrew Carnegie, a very rich businessman in the area, and the idea that was stolen was his fiance's engagement ring. It was locked in a state of the art safe, and despite there being lots of cash in the safe, only the ring was taken."

The female cop never once looked away from Yako.

It seemed her realization of my hanging out with Jun recently didn't come as a pleasant surprise.

Jun didn't seem fazed.

Most likely he didn't notice.

"Odd huh? Smells of an inside job, but if you're committing theft why wouldn't you take the cash too?"

"Most likely they're still in the house, and they thought the ring would be easier to hide." Yako sounded bored by this mystery.

My eye's narrowed.

It was very unlike her.

She caught me staring and greeted my scowl with a glare of her own, followed by her stomach growling.

"I didn't eat lunch."

That would explain it.

I leaned close to whisper menacingly in her ear.

"**If you want to fill your piggly belly so badly you'll have to get me my snack first.**"

"Aren't you a bit close?" The female cop pulled Yako to her, keeping an eye on me as she did so.

"Isn't it normal for people who are dating to be close?"

I wasn't able to keep all the shock from my face as I looked at Yako.

I had expected Jun to quickly spill the beans, and from his countenance it appears he was about to, but I didn't expect that from Yako.

All the people around us quieted, having overheard Yako's bold statement.

She had said it much easier than I thought she would.

I smiled a bit.

Maybe she wasn't as embarrassed by our relationship as I first thought.

She had been turning red whenever she spoke of it recently, and since I saw nothing rude in the situation the last option was that she was embarrassed.

The female cop was speechless for a full two minutes, finally managing a sputter.

"C-Come with me." Grabbing Yako by the arm she dragged her to a police car quite forcefully.

It's just you and me then Neuro~chan~!" Jun grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the house.

I glanced at the police car before allowing myself to be lead into the house.

Yako could handle herself.

I didn't need to worry.

* * *

Notes2: Another forced chapter. But I didn't want my reviewers to wait to long so I forced it out. Hope it's ok!

**kurono-aijin:** Glad you liked it! I'm not always sure what's going to happen either. Actually, I'm never sure of 80% of what I write. I just write it-sometimes without thinking-and it just comes out. Probably not the best way to write. (-_-;) But It's what happens when I force myself. It's all ad-libbed. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Neru-kun**** : **Why thank you (^_^) And I'm glad it didn't seem forced. Hope this one's the same! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Seishin Okami:** Ahahahahaha! I love that quote too! (^_^) I'm glad you're ok with Godai, and yeah, but it was better than asking for a lock of hair and eating it. Or telling Yako to strip. (-_-;) Yes, I considered those. So far Kira's bored. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing, and she didn't really think it through. But look forward to seeing more of her reactions from here out! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**LittleMissSugarLess: **Ahahaha. Or maybe she does understand. O.O THank you for reading and reviewing!

**MilissaRukia**: THank you so much for picking up this story again! Glad you're enjoying it even now. And I'm also relieved you're ok with KiraxGodai. What a worrywart I always am. And you even approved of Yako's violence. *sneaky face* Yeah, Godai and Kanae wouldn't really fly in my book. Kanae's too skiddish. Godai needs someone who can handle him. Though I think he got a bit more than he bargained for. Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review!


	25. Crystal Lie Todoroki

**Disclaimer: I Don't Own MTNN**

**Notes:**** Todoroki's POV **Look! I forced two chapters out! (^_^) Note to MilissaRukia at end.

* * *

With the world spinning I stared at the girl in front of me.

She looked so much older than I remembered her, my impression of her always remaining the same, as if her time had stopped. But it wasn't really stopped.

This was proof.

"Yako-san, you really need to think clearly about this." My words were soft, and I noted Yako-san looked much calmer than I thought she'd be. A look of interest and thoughtfulness in her eyes. A far cry from the reaction I thought I'd get-not that I'd been able to think of how she'd react. I just thought she'd be more annoyed.

"Clearly about what?" Yako-san spoke slowly, as if tasting her words before they left her mouth. A chill ran down my spine, and I wondered if it came from Yako-san or from the alien wandering close by.

"About having anything to do with that-that monster!"

Yako-san laughed slightly, and I had the nagging feeling that she really had been brainwashed.

"Why is that funny?"

Yako-san felt one of her hair clips. "More ironic than funny. What is it you don't like about Neuro?"

How was it ironic? Wait, no, I mustn't get distracted.

"What do you mean "What don't I like"? He not only is extremely dangerous but he has no qualms in hurting humans. How could you possibly get along with a creature like that? Let alone date him?"

Yako-san tilted her head to the side, watching me with calculating eyes. I didn't like it. It reminded me of how the alien looked at humans. Calculating. Deciding what reaction was expected in this situation.

Unhuman.

I shook myself.

I was getting paranoid.

"Neuro is difficult to get along with." Her words were simple and calm, not once changing expression. Was I really paranoid? Or did my feelings have some ground? "And he is dangerous to his enemies. However, I am not an enemy, and I'm not in danger. Neuro would-and has-risked his life to save me. He's almost died at least twice protecting either humans as a whole or me. He's always careful to push me only enough to make me grow, but never enough where I could get hurt. And he really does love me."

She smiled, a tinge of sadness in it. "I'm not so naive to get forced into a relationship, and I'm not so foolish as to chose a partner who would harm me in any way. Neuro isn't perfect, and has circumstances you can't completely understand, but he's trying his best. How much do you trust me Todoroki-san? Trust my judgement a little. I've always been good with people."

I was almost breathless at her words. Since when had Yako-san sounded so wise? He words almost seemed like that of an old woman recounting a life lesson to a grandchild. Had she matured that much?

I nodded, still trying to find the words to speak. "I trust you." Mirroring the calmness Yako-san showed, I felt my mind slow slightly. My fear ebbed.

Yako-san was the best at reading people. Better than anyone else I had ever met. If she had chosen to befriend such a person she surely had a good reason to. I would just have to trust her.

The girl in question smiled brighter.

"How about that mystery now?"

.

.

.

We found Jun-Sempai and the alien examining the safe, talking to the mother the groom-to-be. "We were just going to have the ring cleaned too. I have this lovely little jeweler downtown that knows his stuff. He always can find me the best quality gems too!"

Jun-Sempai looked enthralled at the story. The alien less so. I doubt he was even listening. He turned to look at Yako-san and me, and I nodded a greeting.

If Yako-san was serious about this I wanted to at least treat him civilly.

He looked more suspicious than surprised, turning to talk to Yako-san. "Sensei~! Carnegie-san and his Fiance are in the other room. Didn't you want to talk to them?"

Yako-san nodded before excusing herself and leaving the room. She came back after about five minutes or so, glancing at the safe as she did. The alien had already been dragged away by Jun-Sempai to the squad car with donuts, but Yako-san didn't immediately head over to him like I expected.

"What a dull and simple puzzle."

Her voice held a bored tone I had never heard before.

"Yako-san?"

She glanced at me before shining her brilliant smile I recognized well-her look of triumph.

"I know who the culprit is~. This mystery is right one the tip of my tongue."

I had never heard Yako-san say that phrase before, but I think I'd heard the alien whisper it on more than one occasion. She was picking up bad habits I see.

"It's so~ boring though." She was muttering to herself again, ignoring me entirely. I had the sudden feeling I was looking at a painting instead of Yako-san. A painting of her moving and come to life.

"Let's have some fun."

And the painting warped slightly, giving of a singularly unpleasant feeling.

My head hurt as the image went fuzzy.

Suddenly the world was crystal clear again.

Wait, what was I doing?

Oh, right, Yako-san had said she'd solved the mystery.

I suppose I should get Jun-Sempai.

Now where had he gone?

* * *

**Notes2:** Tis a bit short, but it's late. Hope you like it!

**MilissaRukia ****: **This is the first time anyone has thanked me for responding to them. Thank you for it. (^_^) It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. Responding takes a lot of time and thought. THank you for appreciating it. (^_^) I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! And you know Kira can't stay out of mischeif for long. She tried really hard though! I figure it'd be one of those things where you know somethings off, but you don't even consider anything other than what's in front of you because any other explanation seems impossible. I hope your writers block goes away! THank you so much for reading and reviewing!


	26. Crystal Clear Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** I just finished watching season 2 of Sherlock. One of the best TV series of all time. It's on BBC in case any of you are interested. Anyway, it's inspired me to write-the mood of it and all. And the ending. O.O I STRONGLY suggest it if you like mysteries. The mysteries in it are amazing. I should steal some from here, but I'd never be able to do such a good job with it, so maybe not. **Neuro's POV.** Note to reviewers at end.

* * *

Walking back into the house, I paused at the doorway.

The smell had changed.

Ever so slightly.

Stronger.

Sweeter.

I took a deep breath.

Savored it.

Had the culprit had such a complicated mind? Had then been so smart? So bold?

An interesting answer to an interesting question.

No.

The breath snaked between my teeth as I let it out.

I grinned silently.

The best puzzles are always worth waiting until they had fully grown.

"Have you figured it out yet Neuro?" Yako asked the question lazily, already knowing the answer when I spoke it.

"To what are you referring?"

Are eyes met before the fox spoke her good byes to the police officer in front of her.

"Call me if you need help." The female officer glared at me before walking away.

I held back a grin.

"How simple. Humans always believe what is right in front of their eyes-even if all the evidence says otherwise."

With a yawn the fox climbed into the car on the passenger side. I got in the driver's seat.

"And yet you were fooled by the outward appearance at first too-weren't you?"

I glared sideways.

"Only for a very short time."

"Oh please, you didn't know I wasn't Yako until we made it to the crime scene. I must admit I wasn't entirely convincing in my portrayal of Yako, but as you said, so many people trust their eyes. I am curious about what made you doubt yours."

"And you expect me to satisfy that curiosity?"

"I've already given you a puzzle as a gift. Surely that counts for something?"

"It's the only reason you're not torn to bits. I see no reason to coddle you further."

"Now now, play nice. I'm going to be your replacement Yako for the day, so can't that count as another favor?"

"I don't need a replacement-I'm going to get the real one."

The fox immediately started coughing, retching up a lump of plastic onto her hand.

Yako's hair clip.

"After she went to all the trouble of running away from you? Are you planning on choking her to death with the leash you've put on her? If you're this way now, I can hardly imagine how you'll be if she ever does accept you as her mate. The poor girl is probably scared out of her wits wondering that herself right now. I certainly wouldn't put up with such treatment."

I went silent at that.

It was unlikely the fox would have taken the hair clip without Yako's consent.

And if Yako had chosen to run away...to run from what? Or was it who? Not something I cared to dwell on at the moment.

"Fine. You weren't bright."

The fox tilted her head.

"I'm assuming you aren't calling me an idiot."

"When Yako has figured out a case she always shines brightly. The harder the case the brighter the shine. Even thought this was a low level case Yako should have figured out in an instant, you never once shone. That was enough to bring to my attention all the evidence you weren't Yako."

A moment of silence.

"How deeply you've fallen parrot. And here I thought I'd never hear such words from you."

Without Yako's clip holding up the illusion, the fox had slowly faded from a fake Yako back into her normal child self.

"Fallen? Are you saying I've diminished in power?"

A laugh.

"No, no. It's just a figure of speech. On the contrary, it shows you've grown a bit." The fox's eyes darkened. "Though I suppose you'd think in the wrong direction."

I swerved to miss an oncoming car who hadn't stopped honking the horn since they had come into view.

"Meaning?"

"There are two things you need to see absolute truth. I've had both for most of my life. You've had both since you were born. But not that you've lost one, I suppose you'll just have to hope the first will be enough for two."

"And you claim you still have both?"

"No. But I already know that one is enough for me, it's not like my getting food depends on it after all. I was just pointing out a fact."

She popped the clip back in her mouth, the fake Yako returning.

"How about that puzzle?"

.

.

.

The police called before the end of the day.

"We found the ring."

I glared at the fox, sitting on the couch, smiling blatantly with Yako's mouth.

"It was in one of the maid's rooms, taped to the bottom of the mattress."

.

.

.

The female maid's hair looked almost white, surprising since she was a young woman.

A glance at her scalp confirmed the obvious.

Dyed.

The female was also in tears.

"I-I sw-wear!" *sniff* "I d-didn't st-steal anythin-g-g! I-I'm be-ing se-set up!" And at this point she burst into wails.

I fought back an irritated sigh.

Yako usually dealt with this bit, but seeing how I was stuck with a fake that would probably make things harder for me than actually be of any help, I was stuck talking to people myself.

The female cop with me was more serene.

"Then why was a plane ticket in your name with your credit card purchased just a few hours ago?"

The white haired woman didn't even get out a single word, no matter how hard she fought for it.

I stood up, making the woman across from me jump, and the police officer next to me stare.

"Nogami-san?"

I didn't bother to answer as I left the officer to question her dead-end suspect.

While it's true the puzzle was ten times better than before, ten times such a low number hardly makes for an impressive outcome. I suppose the fox had done the best with what she had to work with, but sadly she hadn't had much to go on.

After all, at least the puzzle was enough to fool the police now.

.

.

.

"What do you mean the ring is a fake?"

The owner of said ring was yelling at high volume in the face of his mother's beloved jeweler, his mother and fiance flinching slightly at the ear piercing sound.

The fox sighed softly next to me. "They always ruin it don't they?"

I snorted. "Would it be any fun otherwise? If the humans just followed your puzzle to the letter?"

"No. But at least they'd get away with it then."

"Full of yourself aren't you?"

"Am I wrong?"

"Not entirely. They'd get away with it if I wasn't here perhaps."

"Fine, we'll agree on that."

"The ring is a fake. A well made one, but a fake none the less. Sorry, but it's worthless." The Jeweler seemed used to such treatment.

"What do you mean it's worthless? It was my grandmothers!"

"I told you, it's a fake. Your grandmother never wore this ring."

"Why you-!"

"I believe it's my turn." The fox barely whispered her words before standing up. "Please gentlemen! The reason the ring is fake is obviously because the real ring was stolen. Stolen by someone in this very room." Looking very much like Yako-minus the shine of course-the fox pointed her finger straight at the culprit.

"You!"

At least the fox was smart enough to remember the pattern I had set with Yako. And to know I had already pieced it together.

Well, the last one didn't take that much brains though.

Her finger pointed at the fiance.

"W-what?" The woman was shocked, immediately cracking her mask. "Why would I steal the ring? It's been given to me anyway!"

"But you didn't think it would be did you?" I spoke up, cuing the fox her part was over. She rolled her eyes before sitting back down.

"You've been dating Carnegie-san for over five years now haven't you? Without him once mentioning marriage. Normally that wouldn't drive you to such extremes, but you saw him with that blonde maid-seemingly getting all cozy. Filled with rage, you decided you didn't need a two-timing womanizer for a boyfriend, and decided to break up with him. But were you really willing to leave the man you wasted five years of your life on without any sort of revenge?"

The woman was shaking now, but I couldn't tell which emotion consumed her.

The puzzle was leaking.

"So you decided if you weren't going to be the woman he gave that ring to, he wouldn't give it to anyone-and you swapped it for a fake. You found out shortly after that the maid had made a pass at Carnegie-san, but he had refused her. Embarrassed and ashamed at your lack of trust, you wanted to switch back the real ring with the fake. Imagine your shock when you were proposed to by the same man you thought you had tossed you aside just a bit ago. And with the fake ring you had swapped. Suddenly there was talk of getting the ring cleaned and certified. You saw the importance of hastily exchanging the rings, but were almost caught in doing so-leaving the next person to open the safe to find it with out the ring."

"What are-"

"And then you went so far as to frame the maid-out of revenge? Borrowing her credit card to buy that ticket and hiding the ring under the mattress. But you made one fatal flaw. Knowing how much that ring meant to Carnegie-san, you couldn't hide the real one. So instead you hid the fake, planning on switching them later."

"She deserved it!" The woman's features were filled with a mix of rage and fear.

"I heard her talking to the other maids! She was planning on seducing him even after we got married! The witch was only interested in his money but she was willing to steal the man I love from me to do it! I couldn't tell Andrew about my fears unless I admitted I had doubted him, and that would play right into her schemes. So yes, I framed her! I wasn't going to let that blonde siren take my happiness from me! Not when he means so much to me!"

With a grin, I slowed time, smelling the puzzle at it's ripest.

**"I'm taking something from you myself-your puzzle. Though I suppose it doesn't mean as much to you as it does to me."**

I swallowed it with a grin.

* * *

**Notes2: **So, I managed to get another chapter out. Hopefully I'll be doing better in the future. (^_^)

**MilissaRukia: **I hope this one made you smile too! Sorry for the wait! Todoroki. I've made the spelling a chant in my mind to remember it. (-_-;) I've done the same with Ishigaki. Lol, that's true. But Kira's never been one for explanations. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Seishin Okami : **I'm glad you like them. (^_^) Hmm...I don't know who's smarter. In pure intelligence, definitely Neuro. But Kira has a more devious side, and is better at manipulating people. So it's a bit of a toss up.

Lol. I tried really hard to stress Neuro's change of attitude. I'm glad the fan girl in you picked it up.

No, she reeks. Well, she didn't try to hard anyway. She didn't need to, and I've starting making her a bit on the lazy side-only doing what's completely necessary.

Why thank you. I'm glad you appreciate it too. (^_^) I'm not always sure if I'm annoying my reviewers. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!


	27. London Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:**Sorry for the wait. I had to watch a rerun of a season 1 Sherlock episode to get in the mood to write again. **Yako's POV.** Notes to reviewers at end.

* * *

I paced on the porch just outside the front door.

Neuro had to be angry.

Kira had called to let me know that "the monster had found out I was a fake-sorry~! But he's eaten so he's in an okay mood."

Maybe right after he ate, but my not returning promptly no doubt had soured that mood a little.

Hopefully only a little.

And I knew he knew I was out here. The fact that he hadn't yet flung open the door or crawled out a window gave me little hope he wasn't there. He was. But the fact I wasn't colliding with the nearest wall filled me with both dread and hope.

Either he was fuming or too lazy to mess with me.

I sincerely hoped it was the latter.

Taking a deep breath I opened the front door.

Walked inside.

"Is it going to be a habit of yours to wait until the last possible second before entering the house?" Neuro's voice made me jump, and instinctively I looked up-a very unusual direction to look for a person, but one I had gotten used to.

Neuro stood on the ceiling behind me, a bored expression on his face. It would have been completely impossible for me to have entered the house with him standing there, so he must have been laying down when I walked in.

"For it's truly annoying. I hope it isn't permanent."

Ignoring my apprehensive look he walked (still on the ceiling of course) towards the living room.

I wisely followed.

"You're not angry?" I reminded myself to be as honest as possible.

"Because you ran off without telling me and used the fox as a decoy to make your escape?"

He was.

A hand grabbed me and threw me into the couch.

"**Whatever gave you the idea I'd be angry louse?**"

Oh crap.

He really was.

I peeled myself off the cushions, sitting up straight to be as close to eye level as I possibly could be with someone hanging from the ceiling.

"It was kind of a spontaneous thing. I really did feel bad I didn't stick around and help you with the mystery, but Kira said you solved it without me, so it wasn't really that bad was it?" I was trying to remind him he had just eaten. Remind him of his good mood.

A claw digging into my scalp informed me it hadn't worked.

"Why didn't you tell me you wanted the day off?"

I was completely not expecting that question. I figured the answer was so obvious I didn't need to answer, but the claw in my scalp seemed to be saying otherwise.

"Because you would have followed me obviously. I really needed to talk to my friends privately. I really am sorry though. Honestly. I didn't mean to fool you. I shouldn't have let Kira fill in for me."

The claw left my skin, and I looked up to see Neuro's unblinking eyes staring darkly at my face.

"What if you had been kidnapped again?"

...Huh?

Another curve-ball.

My face echoed my question, and Neuro repeated his.

"What if you had been kidnapped? How would I know where to look? If you were even missing?"

My mind was blank with pure surprise.

This were reasonable questions coming from an unreasonable person. Normal questions from the definition of abnormal. And there was no right answer to them.

A scary mix.

The claw was on my scalp again, but gentler this time.

"Tell me when you leave. When you'll be back. If you insist I won't follow-though I'd rather you not insist."

I felt like my breath had been knocked out of me.

The same tone as before.

Honest. Sincere.

I struggled to nod.

Neuro's head turned to the side, watching my reaction closely.

"The fox says I'm choking you."

The words were said without a change in tone, and just as calmly as if he were commenting on the weather. He was trying to tell me why he was saying the things he was, thinking I was confused.

Was I?

A hand reached up and patted the claw on my head.

"I'll let you know if I start getting claustrophobic."

He nodded once, eyes searching my face for an answer to a question I didn't recognize. And one he didn't get the answer to, letting go of my head and pulling away.

"You need sleep louse. Who knows what you've been wasting your energy on while you left me to starve. I assure you you won't get off so easily tomorrow."

I smiled.

I didn't doubt it for a second.

.

.

.

My eyes snapped open at the mention of food.

Pulling myself out of the puddle of drool I had left in my sleep, I was quick to respond. "One of everything please."

The flight attendant blinked at my sudden request, no doubt thinking I had been fast asleep.

I had been.

"And you sir?"

"The same."

I blinked in surprise. Neuro never ordered anything.

The world was still in a daze, and it took a second to come back to reality.

I was aboard an eleven hour flight to London, having been requested to solve a case of serial suicides.

If there could be such a thing.

Two hours into the flight and I had been out like a light. From the watch I glanced at I had been sleeping for a good three hours. Thus the drool puddle.

Which I had left on Neuro.

I groaned as I forced myself to sit upright in my tiny economy class seat. Yeah, I could probably afford a couple of first class tickets-heck, with the allowance Scotland Yard had given me I could buy out the plane. But that would mean less money to spend on food.

And I would give up comfort for food any day.

Neuro looked the same as he had three hours ago, unruffled by the close proximity of myself and whoever was sitting on the other side of him. He also didn't show a single sign of boredom, no doubt too excited by the puzzle in front of us to even consider being bored.

He was like a kid on his way to Disney Land.

A hand wiping the drool from my cheek surprised me out of my thoughts.

"As if one order of everything would be enough for you my piggy." Neuro wiped the drool into my hair, pressing a claw into my scalp as he did.

I smiled through my disgust at having drool-even my own-rubbed into my scalp.

"Thanks."

The very old looking man sitting on the other side of me smiled at the two of us. "Young people these days are so affectionate!"

Neuro ignored him.

"You need to be well fortified to work extra hard in London. I'd hate to have you fainting on the job."

Wiping Neuro's sleeve dry with my handkerchief, I nodded my response. Neuro was in far too good of a mood to be upset by my lack of enthusiasm.

He also ignored my head's return to his shoulder as I waited for my food to be delivered. Well, my pillow choices were between him and the old guy. And to be honest the old guy was giving off too much of a "willing to talk" feel. I was too tired from last minute packing and lack of food to get into an eleven hour discussion with anyone.

So I was immensely thankful that Neuro was far too excited to torture me much, and feeling content enough to let me lean on him. I doubt I was heavy enough to actually discomfort him in anyway. I would need to be an elephant to do that.

Darkness fuzzed the edges of my vision again, and I hoped the entire plane ride would be this pleasant.

.

.

.

It wasn't.

But I always try not to dwell too much on the negative.

I was nearly blinded upon exiting the plane, and Neuro and I had to be escorted out a back door to avoid all the press and their bright camera flashes.

Inspector Lestrade-the person in charge of the case-was waiting for us outside with a line of squad cars ready to carry us away.

"It's an honor meeting you Miss Katsuagi. I just hope you can help us with this case. God knows we need it."

English is an extremely annoying language, but easy enough to speak with enough practice. Practice I was sure to keep up on.

"Likewise Inspector Lestrade. I just hope I'll be able to help you guys get your man-especially before he murders again."

The Inspector eyed me sharply. "So it's decidedly a serial killer then?"

I smiled bleakly. "Sadly. There is no such thing as serial suicide after all." "But why a man?"

"Oh, it isn't for sure. It's just more likely statistically."

I climbed into the car, Neuro following close behind.

"And who is this?" The Inspector addressed Neuro. It never ceased to surprise me how few people knew I had an assistant-even with the scandal that had been on the news. I guess Godai was just doing his job at making me famous-and keeping Neuro in the shadow.

A job no doubt much easier with Godai graduating from being the 'General of the North' to becoming the 'Dark Monarch' as he was affectionately called by his underlings. I had heard Kira had taken to giving him random butterfly themed gifts-which was driving him insane.

Well, so he claimed anyway. But I hadn't failed to notice at least four of the supposedly disliked gifts on display in his office.

The sleep must have still clung to the edge of my brain, for Neuro had to answer this question I usually answered for him.

"Her boyfriend."

Not the answer I usually gave.

I turned slightly pink.

"And assistant. You asked me to do all I can to help you, and I'm only half as good without him." I didn't want the Inspector to think I was fooling around on this case.

Inspector Lestrade just nodded.

"Welcome to London Miss Katsuragi."

* * *

**Notes2: **Another chapter. Hope ya liked it. (^_^)

**MilissaRukia: **Ahahaha. He never is. (^_^) And they definitely could. Neuro is learning. Slowly but surely. Well, really slowly. I'm so glad you liked it. (^_^) Sorry you had to wait so long for the next one. Yep. An overprotective parent is a pretty good way of putting it. But he's also a bit too spoiled to be compared to one too, so it's a mix of parent and child, lol. I'm glad to hear I don't annoy you. :D Thanks! And thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Neru-kun: **I completely understand. Thank you for taking the time to read and review even though life is so hectic. (^_^)

******Seishin Okami :** She's definitely a wily one. (^-^)

Ahahahahahhaa. Sorry, she isn't. But I bet if she was she'd be thrilled. *sneaky face* It'd be a good reason to forced Godai to marry her. Well, she'll just have to find some other way.

I like Kira and Neuro's moment too. I feel they understand each other a lot, and can only be completely honest with one another with out any pretenses. They're getting to be more and more like brother and sister.

Hmm. An interesting question.

Did I always know exactly how Neuro would turn out? No. I never imagined this exact Neuro. However, I do know the ending of my story-and I have since the beginning. So I had a fuzzy idea of what type of people everyone had to be to get to that point.

The readers never forced my hand in developing the characters. I don't think I could have forced them if I tried. I do watch comments carefully for any annoying traits the characters might be developing though-just in case. But other than a few ideas, the readers haven't really changed the outcome of my story. Heck, I can't even change it when I try. So you're stuck with what you get. Don't know if that's good or bad though. Sorry for such a rant, but it's the first time I've been directly asked a question(that I remember)...so I got a bit carried away.

Ahahahahhaaa. That would be hilarious. And I'd buy it. "Solve all your creating problems!" A lot of people would buy...

Thanks (^_^) I always get excited answering reviews. It's gives me a chance to understand my readers and even the characters I'm trying to portray better. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing regularly! And for not getting annoyed by me. (^_^)


	28. A Study In Pink Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:**Yes, the mystery is stolen. (-_-;) Try to ignore it. **Neuro****'s POV.** Notes to reviewers at end.

* * *

The air that wafted through the car windows reeked of gasoline and sweat.

Not too much different from Tokyo if you ignore the gibberish coming from the humans mouths.

It took me all of 10 minutes to understand what they were saying. Not even difficult enough to be classified as a puzzle.

The officers here were much more eager to talk to Yako than officers usually were in Tokyo. She was more of a novelty here-a celebrity instead of a hindrance.

The male officer who had met us at the airport was eager to show us the case files-and I was happy to accept them. Yako on the other hand wanted to go to sleep. How she could sleep anymore I don't know, the sloth had slept for half the plane ride. But she insisted that she was exhausted, and so bringing the files with me, we were dropped off at the hotel would be staying at.

The male officer didn't even bat an eyelash when I told him we wouldn't be needing two rooms. Yako didn't comment either, too tired to either argue or care.

Our room was on the top floor and when we got off the elevator and realized it wasn't a room but a penthouse suite.

"This has to be a mistake." Yako spoke with a mix awe and regret as she marveled at the splendor of the room.

A call to the desk however showed us that not only was it not a mistake, but that the room was complimentary of the hotel board. Room service was also free.

Exhaustion forgotten, Yako spend the next 40 minutes ordering at least three of everything on on the menu.

I glanced through the case files, knowing Yako would probably want to look through them as she ate.

We have never had a case of a "serial suicide" before, and the mystery promised to be a delicious one.

They were three victims so far.

None of them seem to have known each other, and yet they all died from the same poison-self administered.

They all died in places they had no business being at, and none had shown suicidal tendencies in the past, and no note was left.

I grinned.

A very tasty smelling puzzle indeed.

Yako walked out of the bathroom, hair damp and smelling of shampoo. "Is the food here yet?" She was already dirtying herself by not being able to hold back her drool.

"Not yet piggy. You only ordered it ten minutes ago, and with the quanity you ordered I doubt the staff would be able to carry it all up in that time, let alone cook it."

With a grumble Yako plopped down on the bed under where I was sitting. "You looking through the case files?"

I didn't even bother to give the obvious answer to that question.

"You know who did it yet?" I looked down from the papers in my hand.

"The police have far too little evidence, obviously the worms don't know what to look for. I'll need to see a crime scene for myself."

Yako's head shot up at that statement. "What? So we're supposed to wait around until this murder strikes again?" I sighed. Dramatic ground hog. "What would you suggest we do then? The police don't even have any suspects to question."

Yako bit her lip. "Maybe we could talk to the family? See what these people had in common?"

"Nothing." I dropped the papers on top of her head. "If they had any sort of relation to each other I would have found out by now. In fact I can't even find any reason the serial killer would chose these people in paticular. It must not be because of who they were, but something they did."

A knock came from the door, breaking the thoughtful silence that followed my comment. "Room Service!"

Yako bounded up from her seat. "Eating always helps me to think! Perhaps I'll have an idea after some dinner. I don't want to just wait around until another murder occures."

I watched as three waiters pushing full carts entered the room, Yako's eyes shining at the sight.

My poor niave piggy.

.

.

.

My eyes snapped open at the sound of bells.

The phone was ringing.

The sloth on the bed beneath me groaned and tried to reach the alarm clock which read 4:00 am, thinking it was the offender.

I grabbed the phone before the third ring, immediately noticing the voice on the other end sounded out of breath.

"He's done it again! It's fresh, and this one left a note!" The male officer from ealier. How easily he had accepted these were the working of a serial killer. I hoped the entire squad would be this coorperative.

"Where?" My voice came out scratcher then I had intended, still laced with sleep.

"221 Baker Street. An old abandoned house-you can't miss it."

I hung up the phone, my sleep already fading with excitement. Yako, on the other hand, looked as if she would sleep walk the whole way there.

"Come now little piggy." I grabbed the top of her head with my hand. "Time for you to use that snout of yours to forage out a murderer." I punctuated my sentence by throwing her into the wall.

.

.

.

The note was obvious as soon as we entered the room.

With once perfectly manicured pink fingernails the deceased had scrawled into the broken wood floor the letters R-A-C-H-E.

"Rache' means 'revenge' in German, but I doubt this woman would waste her time and manicure etching out a word in her non-native language."

Yako was speaking aloud, considering the body before her shrewdly. I grinned at the shine coming from her. She really was one of a kind.

"Any ideas detective?" The officer that had called us walked into the room, followed by the corner and another officer.

"Oh come on!" The human that smelled of death spoke, disgust in his eyes. "We're seriously going to turn this case into a walking circus? We already have the press breathing down our necks as it is."

"Be respectful. She's traveled a long way." The words were strongly spoken, and any further complaints that had been considered were silenced.

"Where's her suitcase?" I asked the question absentmindedly, my brain racing with far more information than the police had managed to scrounge up in their previous investigations.

"Suitcase?"

Yako and I both turned to look at the officer. I spoke. "Yes. Where is it?"

A puzzled look. "She didn't have a suitcase."

Yako tilted her head. "Of course she did-a small one. Probably a blindingly pink overnight bag. Haven't you found it yet?"

The corner and female officer both turned to Yako with pure surprise on their faces. The male officer's eyes didn't leave me though.

"Why do you think she had a suitcase?" "There are small mud spatters on her right leg. She must have been wheeling a suitcase-a small one judging from the size of the splatter." As I spoke I lightly touched the splatter. Still wet.

"And why pink?" The death smelling human asked with obvious annoyance.

"All you have to do is look at her outfit to get the answer to that one."

"She's also unhappily married, and a serial adulterer." Yako's clear voice cut through the chatter of the other humans. "Her wedding ring is dirty while the rest of her jewelry is clean. And the inside of the ring is cleaner than the outside-so it's regularly removed."

"A neat parlor trick, but hardly helpful with the case." The corner's voice had a hint of distain he couldn't quite hide.

I held back a growl. "And yet Sensai so easily deduced all this while you looked at the woman and saw nothing. And the suitcase is very important. LEt us know if it turns up."

I grabbed Yako's arm and pulled her towards the door.

"And check to see who Rachel is."

"Rachel?" The male officer looked away from me for the first time, turning his attention back to Yako.

"Obviously the woman died in the middle of scratching her name into the floor. I think we should find out who was so important to this woman-don't you?"

The man barely had time to nod before I pulled Yako out the door.

* * *

**HiHelloIWeird: **Thank you! And thank you so much for reading. (^_^) Uwah! Glad you're enjoying it! And thanks! I fixed it! THank you so much for your reading and reviewing!

**mouse: **AH! I feel so privileged to be the person who's story you were the first to review on! Thank you! I'm working on it! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**MilissaRukia: **Neuro's getting more placid. Well, as long as Yako's in arm's reach at least. (^_^) But yeah, he's the type to act all nice and beat you twice as much later. (-_-;) Yako's working on him. O.O True, true. Perhaps I can work that in. Yeah, Kira and Neuro have alot of respect for each other-not that they'd admit it of course. Thanks. (^_^) I wasn't sure if I should add that in, but the story never does give me a choice. I thought it was a funny play on words too. One Kira would be sure to pick up on. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Neru-kun: **Ahahaha. I think you meant good. I hope it was! Thank you for reading and reviewing!


	29. Follow the Leader Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: ** **Yako****'s POV.** Notes to reviewers at end.

* * *

I had been trying to build a profile of the killer in my head since I had read the case files.

All these people had disappeared off the streets, but no one had witnessed their abduction.

Who could be so invisible?

I looked up from my plate of breakfast as Neuro climbed back through the suite window.

"Where have you been? You made sure all the reporters outside the hotel didn't see you right?"

I put down my spoon as Neuro dragged a glaringly pink overnight suitcase through the window with him.

"Neuro! Seriously? I told you to leave evidence where you found it!"

With barely a glance towards me he flung it down on the bed.

"I waited to bring it to you before I opened it."

I sighed.

I suppose he was trying to be nice.

I gave up on my food as Neuro unzipped the bag.

"Where did you find it?"

"A dumpster four miles from the crime scene. I figured the murderer would ditch it as soon as he realized he had taken it."

I nodded as Neuro pawed through the woman's clothes, not even bothering to mention disturbing evidence anymore. I was already going to be yelled at by the police for this, at I should get all the information I could first.

"Nothing of much interest." Neuro looked through the pockets on the outside of the case.

"She was a very organized woman. From the looks of it very clever too. And she did like her pink didn't she." I mumbled mostly to myself as I looked through the contents.

I tilted my head.

Something was missing.

My hand was reaching for my phone when the room's phone rang.

"Rachel is the name of the victim's stillborn child. So not the murder suspect then."

I hadn't been expecting it to the murder's name.

Neuro took the phone from me as I reached for my own.

"I see. Interesting. We found the suitcase."

Neuro's face remained inpassive as he spoke.

"I brought it to our room. Not too much of interest in the case. It's more of what's not in the case."

I smiled at the gleam in his eye. So much for me beating him to the punch.

There seemed to be a very loud noise on the other end.

"We'll leave it here for you to pick up. Ya-Sensei and I have a previous engagement."

He hung up with the voice on the other end still talking.

"Shall we have a little stroll?"

I smiled.

"I think we should. There's this restaurant I've been dying to try."

"You would have food in mind."

"As if you're any different."

Neuro was smiling.

"Of course I'm not my little piggy. So let's go eat."

.

.

.

We were sitting at the diner across from Northumberland Street, eyes on the window as I ate.

"Taking their time-aren't they?"

"Keep a look out now. The last thing we want is to get distracted." Neuro spoke with far more excitement than was befitting one speaking about a murderer.

I was slightly disappointed myself.

I hadn't puzzled it all out yet, and I didn't like catching a murderer without knowing all the facts.

A moment later two cars drove by, a taxi containing a young man and a car driven by an older woman.

Neuro watched them both go by with spinning eyes.

"You're not going to stop him?"

Neuro glanced at me. "The mystery isn't ripe yet."

I ignored this comment and got up, quicken my pace to make it to the door right before the cars disappeared.

"And now they've gone." I felt a bit cross. What if another murder happened because Neuro hadn't stopped the murderer?

"I suppose it'd be easy enough to find them again though."

I grumbled.

"Yeah, but the police are going to be breathing down our backs after this."

Neuro dug his claws into the top of my head.

"Since when don't they breath down our necks my louse?"

And that, I had to admit, was usually true.

.

.

.

"BLATANT DISREGARD FOR THE ORDER OF THINGS!"

I nodded in apparent remorse, wishing Neuro would at least try a little to look the same.

But of course he had to make things difficult for us.

Lestrade had been silent this whole time, letting his Chief chew us out while staring at Neuro.

"What did you find out?"

His voice was much softer in comparison to his Chief's screams, but the words carried much more weight.

"The murderer has the victims cell phone."

Neuro had all but ignored the tirade, and answered the question posed to him.

The room went silent.

"And how, exactly, do you know this?" The Chief spoke in a calmer tone, if only barely and full of skepticism.

"Because it's not on her person and not in her suitcase. A serial adulteress's phone would be one of her most guarded possessions. The victim was very clever: she didn't lose her phone. Knowing she was about to die, she planted the phone on her killer."

The officer's in the room were stunned into silence.

Lestrade spoke slowly. "And how can you be sure of that?"

"Miss Detective? Your taxi is here."

"Because we texted the number-a text which could only come from the victim. It read: 'What happened at Baker St? I must have blacked out. 22 Northumberland St. Please Come.' The murderer, unable to bear their curiosity, showed up. "

"Your taxi Miss Detective"

"What? Why didn't you stop them?"

Neuro always had to make things difficult didn't he?

"On what proof exactly?"

"How do you know it was the murderer if you have no proof?"

I smiled.

"I can prove it now. In fact, I can find the murderer now. Rachel you see."

The Chief practically hissed. "Rachel is dead!"

Neuro rolled his eyes so only I could see, bored with my having to explain every detail.

I was starting to have similar feelings myself.

"Rachel isn't the name of her killer, but her password. She didn't have a laptop on her, so it would have to be-"

"Her phone."

Lestrade whispered the words mostly to himself, but they didn't escape the rooms notice.

I nodded.

"The password to her phone account. Her smart phone to be specific. And smart phone have built in GPS."

"We can track the murderer!" The Chief turned to his men.

"Get me a laptop! Some one find out..."

His words faded as other words replaced them in my ears.

"**Miss Detective, your taxi is still outside.**"

The room grew fuzzy as my brain shifted.

I see.

I glanced at Neuro who was watching the police plug a laptop into the wall.

My feet carried me unbidden to the door.

Down the stairs to the side entrance.

A taxi cab sat in front of me, the driver-an elderly man-leaning against it.

Waiting for me.

"Hello Miss Detective."

"Hello. I'm surprised you came. I figured you would have ditched the phone and hightailed it by now."

"Oh, the phone is gone. On a train heading east. It'll take the police hours to find it, and find out I'm not on the train. I'll tell you what though. You call them now and I'll go quietly. No fuss, no running."

"And why's that?"

The man smiled. He seemed so innocent.

"Because you won't call them. If you do I'll never tell you how I did it."

I didn't need to know how he did it. That was Neuro's department, and he didn't need any help in it.

But I did need to know _why_.

Why murder four perfect strangers?

"If you come with me however, I'll tell you. Show you even. Not that you'll live to tell of course."

I took a deep breath, adrenaline running through my brains.

I couldn't hold back my smile.

I got in the taxi.

* * *

**MilissaRukia: **Neuro wants to be the only one picking on Yako huh? (^_^) Tsundere. I figured it would be the only reason the police would put up with them, so they do that a lot. I'm glad you're ok with my laziness. (^_^) And it's from the first episode of Sherlock. Blatant usage too. Though I'm extremely interested to know which anime you thought it copied from. May I know? Thank you. (^_^) I hope your writing goes well. I'm tickled pink a fellow writer reviews and likes my story. They tend to be more critical. I actually have 2 side stories I want to write, and after this arc I may. But I'll try to keep them short. I think my lack of side stories comes less from skill and more lack there of. (-_-;) But I'll accept your compliment. (^_^) Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**kurono-aijin: **Yay! Lol. Yeah, sorry about that. But I write over my story every time, soI don't have to document saved. It's stuck like that. (-_-;) Sorry, and thanks for pointing it out! (^_^) I'm glad you're enjoying it! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**mouse: **Ahahahaha. I rather like that too. (^_^) It's how I think an animal would view them, so I took it from that. I think eating that much food is phisically impossible. O.O But have fun with it (^_^)

You have no idea how much I appreciate every single review, and every single reader. I'm just so excited anyone likes my story enough to read it, and to actually take the time to review-O.O I'm so pleased. It's really what keeps my writing even if I'm dead stuck. Thank you so much for working up the courage to review! I would never say a mean thing to a single reviewer of mine. Even if it's a criticism I know it's just the person's feelings on it and they're just trying to help. Thank you so much. (^_^) I get _so _excited every time the number of reviews goes up, and I seriously check it at least five times a day.

If you want to learn more about psychology, I suggest reading "Liar Game". Tis really good. And remember that psychology isn't full proof, it's just a theory, so not everyone fits the mold. I rather like it myself thought. (^_^) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, and sorry for rambling a bit...

**Neru-kun: **Sorry if you didn't see the response right away-I had already submitted the new chapter when you reviewed. Good thing I check. (^_^) I figured it was something of the sort (^_-) I'm glad you're enjoying it! How do you think it was done? Well, I may have the next chapter out before you can respond though. I like a tough Yako. No wimps here-Neuro's made sure of that. I'm glad you're enjoying it! I think they would be blatantly obvious with one another, and it saves them from a lot of drama. I think that's cute too. (^_^) And how natural it is for Neuro to always keep her in arms length. THank you so much for reading and reviewing!


	30. Test of Wits Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** **Yako's POV**. Notes to reviewers at end.

* * *

"I've been warned about you, you know."

I sat in the back of the worn out cab, watching the windows to trace the route we were taking.

"So you recognized me at the cafe earlier?"

"Yep. I wasn't that surprised to be honest though. As soon as I saw you I thought 'of course it's her'. You're a proper genius you are, figuring out all those mysteries."

It was Neuro who was the genius. I only helped out a little.

My eyes trailed over the worn picture on the dashboard, with a small dingy book beside it.

"Where are you taking me?"

"A place I can easily show you my little trick. Each of the deceased took the poison willingly you know. I'm going to give you an opportunity to do the same."

The taxi pulled over in front of an empty college building.

"If you'd be so kind to follow me Miss Detective."

"And why should I?"

The old man limped out of his seat and opened my door. He had a revolver in his hand.

"Please."

"Cheating, isn't it? I thought you were going to have me poison myself."

"All in good time. But if you don't follow me all my effort would go to waste."

"So that's how you got the people to go inside the buildings they had no place being in."

The man smiled.

"Your brain's working just fine I see."

"Fine, I'll follow your lead then."

And we entered the building.

.

.

.

Sitting across from me the man pointed the gun at me as he fiddled with his jacket pocket.

"You can put the gun down you know. I can tell it's a fake."

With a mixture of a smile and a snort the man pulled the trigger, and a flame came out of the barrel.

"Just a lighter. No one besides you called me on it though, so I suppose it looks pretty real."

"Only to someone who doesn't know guns. And I've seen way too many to be fooled so easily."

With a nod the man put the gun down on the table.

"Here's the game then."

He reached into his pocket and pulled two small glass bottles out of his jacket pocket.

Each contained one pill, clear capsule with white and red dots inside of it.

"It's a game of wits you see. There's a good bottle and a bad bottle. You choose which bottle you think is safe, you eat the pill in it and I eat the pill in the other one."

"That's not a game of wits but a game of 50/50 chance."

"It's chess. A chess game where there's only one move."

With an aging hand the man reached over and moved the bottle on the left closer to me.

"Did I just give you the good bottle or the bad bottle? It's your move my friend."

"Yes, it's my turn."

I looked into the fading blue eyes in front of me.

"The picture in your cab, two children. The picture is old but the frame is new. You don't see your children very often but you think of them a lot. My guess is the wife took them in the divorce."

The man's eyes were level, with something hid in them that bordered strength and madness.

"Your clothes are old, but clean. So you're not planning ahead but just keeping up appearances. You were told three months ago?"

"Told what?"

"That you were going to die."

There was a pause before the man in front of me smiled dryly.

"You are smart Miss Detective. Aneurysm. In my brain. Any breath could be my last."

"And is that while you killed four people?"

"I've out lived four people."

I took a breath.

No.

"No. That's not why. People don't plan so well for hate. They do it for love. Some how this is for your children."

A tsk.

"You got me. I have myself a sponsor. The more I kill the more money goes in a bank account for my children."

"Who'd sponsor a murderer?"

"Who'd be a fan of Yako Katsuragi?"

I stood up.

"I suppose you'll get a bonus if you kill me?"

"Double the amount of the others."

"I see. Then I really must leave."

The man stood up with me.

"Don't you want to know?"

"Know what?"

"If you were right?"

I smiled.

"I already know."

"Then chose it. I'll die for my sins."

"I don't need your death. Like you said, any moment could be your last. Why take away what time you have left?"

The man nodded. "I see."

He slowly pulled another gun out of his pocket.

A real one.

"Come one. Play the game."

I pursed my lips before breaking out in a smile.

"I think not."

The gun's safety was clicked off.

"I must insist."

"**What an annoying human.**"

Neuro stepped out of the shadows, eyes spinning and hair tingling from the nearby mystery.

The man jumped, switching the barrel to point at Neuro.

"Took you awhile."

"I wasn't sure if you were done."

"How did you find us?" The man trembled as his finger lightly touched the trigger. Considering.

"I followed you obviously. Yako walked out of the room, so of course I followed."

Neuro stopped walking when he reached my side, a hand landing on my head.

"This doesn't change anything. Chose your bottle or both die."

Neuro's claw squeezed my head, shaking slightly with the excitement of a ripe puzzle.

"Shall I tell him or will you?"

"I'll do the honors."

I picked up both bottles.

"Both are poisoned. This was to be your last murder, and you were going to die with me."

The man seemed to warp slightly, gun changing from pointing towards Neuro then me then back again.

"You do live up to your name Miss Detective.A shame you'll have to leave this world."

Neuro's gripped tightened. And suddenly he was gone, standing next to the man before us, the gun safely in Neuro's hand.

"**The only thing leaving this world is your puzzle. Itadakimas."**

And the puzzle disappeared down Neuro's throat.

* * *

**Neru-kun: **Ahahaha. Yeah, but you see know she knew Neuro was following all along. She gets rather brave when she knows Neuro is nearby. Though she tends to get carried away by herself too...I feel kinda bad for Neuro. Having YAko be like that has to be nerve racking. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**mouse: **I'm glad you're worry free now. (^_^) No prob. Tis one of my fav mangas. *sigh* Neuro just won't stop provoking people, and Yako is a wee bit too trusting. Well, it would be boring otherwise. (^_^) And he did claim to go quietly, and as far as I know he was planning on doing so. Thank you. You too, lol. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!


	31. Entertainment Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: ** **Neuro****'s POV.** Notes to reviewers at end.

* * *

Yako swung her legs as she sat on the table, waiting for the police to show up.

"You knew I was there?"

I stepped over the passed out body of the human on the floor, the two bottles laying next to him.

"Of course."

She spoke the words quite easily, as if it was a given.

"How?"

Yako turned to look at me, a bit of the shine from earlier still clung to her.

"What do you mean how? It was obvious. There was no way you'd leave me to go on my own."

And if I had?

Where would she be?

Dead in this very room.

I sat down on the table next to her.

"You can't take that for granted and just get into murderer's cars. What if I hadn't been here in time?"

Yako smiled. "I knew you'd be here in time. After all the time we've spent together, I know I can trust that much at least."

I looked away.

"So you expect me to chase you down every time you get yourself kidnapped do you?"

"Of course."

I half smiled.

Typical of my louse.

Sirens sounded outside the window.

"Looks like the cops finally showed."

Yako plopped down from the table, taking care not to land on the man on the floor.

"I suppose we have some explaining to do."

.

.

.

"So the murderer kidnapped you...and then fainted?"

It was usually best to let Yako do the talking in these situations.

"Well, you skipped some of it but pretty much."

The male she was speaking to tapped his fingers against the desk in front of him.

"I must admit, I am shocked. The murderer has already confessed, and there's no doubt he did it. But how exactly you found him is completely beyond me."

"Well, he did find me."

"By _why? _Why find you?"

"He said he was offered double if he managed to kill me."

"And that's something else that doesn't make sense. Why would anyone hire a serial killer, and not care who he kills? Besides you it seems."

"Apparently a fan of mine."

The man snorted.

"Some fan."

The male officer had been watching the exchange, and he spoke for the first time.

"I understand how Yako got here, but what about Neuro? How did you find Yako?"

I glared sideways, holding back a growl at the too familiar way he addressed Yako and me. Well, Yako had warned me they don't use honorifics in this country though.

"I followed the taxi."

"You followed a taxi through the heart of London where there are hundreds of taxis identical to it, all while on foot?"

"Yes."

We stared at each other for a moment.

"I see. You're just as amazing as Yako promised then. Are you more of a body guard than her assistant?"

"I don't like others hurting what's mine."

"Ah, that's right, her boyfriend. So you follow her around to make sure she doesn't get herself killed?"

"Obviously she needs someone to. She's ever so accident prone."

Yako grabbed my sleeve, pulling my glare off of the human in front of me.

"Neuro!" She turned back to the male officer, smiling as she did so.

"Thank you so much for letting us help with this case."

"Thank you so much for helping. I doubt we could have caught this guy with out your help."

He leaned towards me with a whisper. "Or is the girl the one keeping you safe? I heard you were the one who found the suitcase-the same suitcase half our police force couldn't find. Yet another truly amazing feat. One would almost say impossible."

I glared at him before pulling Yako out of the station door with me.

This is why I hated trips.

Sometimes you met a human that wasn't a complete idiot.

.

.

.

"You don't want to stick around a little longer? Maybe eat some local cuisine?"

"You mean watch you eat. I've already eaten all I could here."

Yako sat on her suitcase in an effort to force the lid shut.

I helped by pressing down on her head.

"Ow! Neuro!"

With a roll of my eyes I pulled her off the suitcase and zipped it myself. If I waited for the sloth we'd miss our flight.

Picking the case up and slinging it over my shoulder I grabbed Yako with the other arm.

"Come along louse. You've stalled enough as it is."

Ignoring her complaining and struggling, I carried her all the way to the lobby.

"People are staring Neuro!"

I glanced at the windows which threatened to show a reporter at any moment.

I put her down.

"Take your trash dishrag."

She made a soft grunt when the suitcase hit her in her stomach.

"Neuro!"

I hailed a taxi and stuffed Yako in the first one that came along.

"The airport please."

Yako gasped the words out as she struggled to move out of my way before I sat on her.

"Right away ma'am."

.

.

.

We weren't even thirty minutes into the flight before Yako was fast asleep.

On her seat neighbor's shoulder.

The middle aged looking man seemed startled as Yako's head rolled onto his shoulder.

She had done the same thing last flight.

I moved her head off his shoulder, and it flopped down on my own. The man smiled bashfully at me, and I responded with a glare.

He quickly looked away.

It was unlikely my pig would wake until the stewardess mentioned food, and my suit was already collecting drool.

I sighed.

The selfish louse hadn't even considered I couldn't sleep in such a public place while she slept so soundly.

I dug around in her carry on bag for a marker.

I would just have to amuse myself.

* * *

******Neru-kun:** I wish I had. It's from a miniseries I love called 'Sherlock'. From the first episode of it. It's been adapted a bit, but the mystery is still the same. The old man had the same reason in the original too. It was the reason I chose that mystery in particular. Yep, they work well together (^_^) I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**MilissaRukia: **Yeah, I've been writing a bit fast recently. Hope I can keep it up. (^_^) Which Kuroshitsuji episode? Or was it from the manga? [I like the manga much better myself] Nope, it's really blatant theft. I thank you though. (^_^) Not too many people probably care though, since most haven't read/seen the mysteries before. Thank you. (^_^) And of course I don't mind. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery after all. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Silvermooncat: **Ahahahaha. I see pretty much the same thing when I read it. But another Sherlock fan! Did you watch it before you read this mystery? Or did you look it up after I mentioned it? Either way, I LOVE that series. (^_^) I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter anywayz. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**mouse: **Lol. Yep. Yako expected it too apparently. Though Neuro doesn't seem all that happy about it. Worry over. \(^o^)/ I'm so glad you're enjoying it! I LOVE them! It's one of the first mangas I ever read, and one of my all time favs. I'm really happy you reviewed at all! Thank you so much! For reading _and_ reviewing!


	32. SIDE STORY Godai

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: ** **Godai****'s POV.** I hope you don't mind it's a side story. I've been playing one of those games on the wii in which you have to run to make the character run, jump to make then jump, crouch to make them crouch ect. I LOVE IT. O.O I'm also sleeping really well. Which I hope won't affect my update speed. Notes to reviewers at end.

* * *

"Shinobu~!"

The slightly whining voice came from behind me, two pairs of arms wrapped around my neck.

My pulse quickened in annoyance.

"Kira, I told you I can't play Wario Kart with you today."

For some reason she seemed absolutely obsessed with the game. She was also extremely good at it.

"You're always too busy. You should try to relax a bit. Mind your health and all."

A chin rested on my head.

"I'm in perfect health."

I was now having trouble concentrating on the documents in front of me. And I knew from experience Kira wouldn't leave unless I took a break.

"I guess we could go to lunch together. I have to check on a restaurant in my territory anyway."

The arms released and Kira sounded pleased as she spoke. "Sounds great! Should I get changed? I _am _going to be going as the woman of the head honcho himself. I wouldn't want to embarrass you."

She walked around the desk, showing she was wearing black jeans with a grey t-shirt.

I smiled.

"You look fine."

With a pout she turned on her heel.

"I'm going to get on something a bit fancier. I'll meet you at the car in five."

How exactly was she going to get different clothes in five minutes? Let alone change into them?

But she was gone before I could ask.

.

.

.

Arriving at the car, I realized Kira had gotten there first. And she was clad in a tight black lace mini dress.

"Better?"

"You looked fine before." I avoided eye contact as we got in the car.

She looked beautiful.

Well of course she looked bleeding beautiful! Did I expect her to look freakin' hideous?

We arrived at the restaurant, and as soon as the owner saw my car pull up her had the staff run outside to great me.

"Monarch-sama! If you had told us you were coming we could have been better prepared-"

"And what would the point of that be? You have any private rooms open?"

"For you sir? Of course!"

Kira grabbed my arm as we were lead forward, and I noticed not just a few of the staff exchanged looks.

Not really surprising since I had never brought a woman with me before.

We were lead to the back room, the owner waiting quietly for us to get our seat.

"One moment sir, I'll have my daughter come to get your order."

Bowing, he hurried out of the room.

I glanced around at the room he had put us in.

It was his best one.

I almost felt bad asking for the Corporate Membership fee for this month.

And Kira was beaming.

Perhaps I would give them a discount.

"It's so high class! I'm so glad I dressed up! I would be embarrassed if I didn't."

"I won't have let them look down on you."

The words were off my tongue before I had thought them through.

I quickly turned back to the menu. Freakin' heck! I shouldn't have said anything!

I jumped slightly when Kira suddenly grabbed my arm, having moved from her side of the tatami to sit next to me.

"Thank you~." She leaned over my shoulder to read the menu.

"Y-you have your own-" "What are you getting?"

"May-maybe the ribs?"

"Uwah~! That's my favorite! If we both get it we can be matching!"

I barely was able to nod before the door slide open, revealing the owners daughter sitting on the floor in her kimono.

"Honored guests." She bowed to the floor before entering, sitting and sliding the door shut behind her.

"How may I help you today?"

"Two orders of the ribs, and a bottle of sake. What would you like to drink Kira?" "Sake would be great!" "Make that two bottles."

The young woman nodded, bowing again before leaving.

"Thank you for ordering for me~."

Kira smiled and leaned her head on my shoulder.

I coughed slightly before speaking. "T-this is one of my underlings establishments. I don't think it'd be a good idea to be so...close."

Kira thought for a moment before smiling. "But in all the pictures don't the bosses always have at least one geisha on their arm? Can't I be yours?"

"Eh, w-well-"

The door opened again, and the owner's daughter entered in the same manner she previously had.

"Your food, Honored guests."

With a low bow to the floor she left the room.

***tsk***

Kira looked annoyed at the interruption, but her face lightened when she spotted the food.

"It looks great!" She had barely handed me my plate and drink before she dug into hers.

I held back a smile.

She was always such a healthy eater.

Her food made a loud crunching sound as she ate the ribs bone and all.

...

A very healthy eater.

.

.

.

My food was delicious, as was the sake, and after our meal I told Kira I'd be right back; I needed to thank the owner for the meal.

She was almost done with the rest of my bottle of sake, having finished her own halfway through the meal.

"Ok~. Please tell him I loved it as well~!"

I nodded.

Finding the owner was rather easy, and he looked ecstatic as I told him I enjoyed the meal.

"Thank you so much! It's an honor that you ate it!"

He bowed as he spoke, eyes shining.

My hand automatically found the jade knife in my sleeve.

I had the feeling I was being put on.

"Actually, your entire meal was cooked by my daughter. She completely insisted she be the one to cook it."

"She's a good cook."

A finger touched the knife, my unease getting stronger.

"I thank you for the compliment! I hope she will make an excellent wife some day. She is such a beautiful flower is she not?"

I nodded, hoping Kira was ok.

"Actually, I fear I have an alternative motive for telling you this. You see, my daughter is quite taken with you. She has been since your last few visits here. I wanted to humbly ask if you would give me a great honor and consider going to an Omiai with her. It's very impertinent of me to-"

"I already have a woman. You may have noticed I brought her with me today."

An awkward silence hung in the air.

"A-ah! I see! But I was under the impression it wasn't anything serious. I know it's rude of me to ask, but with the financial backing our company would provide-"

"You seem to not have noticed. That was the end of the discussion. And I don't think you realize just what exactly you're getting you "beautiful flower" into when trying to get her married to the head of a Yakuza group. I'm sure she'll make someone an excellent wife-but not me. Thank you again for the meal, I'll be taking my leave now."

The man seemed to choke on his words, and I walked at a fast clip to where I had left Kira.

A muffled gasp came from the room, and I felt my heart stop.

What would they be willing to do to a woman they felt was in their way?

I ran to the door.

I shouldn't have brought her with me.

Flinging the door open, the owner and his staff who had followed me gasped at the sight.

The owner's daughter hung pinned against the wall, Kira's fingers around her throat with eyes of fire burning lasers into the gasping woman's skull.

My breath felt sucked out of me.

There was no doubt she was the monsters sister, with inhuman strength and looking scary enough to melt metal. She looked like a vengeful ghost that had just stepped out of a painting-so frightening. So beautiful. Like she would steal your soul if you looked her in the eyes.

The owner's scream knocked me out of my daze, and it seemed to do the same for Kira, who dropped the girl as soon as she spotted us.

"Shinobu." Her words were soft, and she sounded frightened. It completely didn't match what I had just witnessed.

"Come here." I held and arm out, and Kira hesitated before walking over and hiding her face in my shirt.

"Why are you comforting her?" The owner's daughter's voice was raspy, and she coughed before continuing. "She almost killed me!"

"**And what the freakin' heck did you do to make her do that?**"

The girl flinched at the intensity of my voice, and the room got quiet.

"I expect the freakin' fee to be paid up by the end of the week, or your restaurant will lose our protection. And I don't want to see any of your faces for bleeding long while. **Understand?**"

The room collectively nodded.

I walked out of the restaurant with Kira still buried in my shirt.

"Are you ok? Did she do anything to you?"

I set her down on the passenger side of the SUV we came in, running a hand along her face to wipe away a tear.

Kira shook her head.

"She said she was going to marry you. Take you away from me. That I was an insult to you and an embarrassment."

Kira rocked back and forth slightly as she said the words, and I regretted letting them stay in the organization.

"She was lying. All of it was a lie. You're amazing, and I wouldn't want to marry anyone but you."

I patted her on the head as she sniffed away her tears.

"You want to marry me?"

...

I choked on my own spit.

Crap. FREAKIN' CRAP!

I had bloody said that hadn't I?

BLOODY HECK!

And she obviously was waiting for me to answer.

HOLY FREAKIN' CRAP!

W-wait...she didn't seem freaked out by it.

Maybe it would be ok.

I took a deep breath, noticing the air seemed to have gotten a lot warmer.

"O-of course. I mean, obviously, I mean, not right no-"

My words stuck in my throat as Kira's hand touched my face.

"Kiss me?"

I swallowed to release the lodged words.

"Ri-right now isn't a good place-"

"Please? It'll assure me you aren't going to abandon me."

I found myself nodding.

She grinned, leaning her face closer.

"**And you must never show that face to anyone else. Ok?**"

I nodded again.

Her smile got wider.

"**It's a promise.**"

* * *

******Note2: **I thought it would be interesting to show how Kira and Godai acted around each other. It turned out to be a chapter mostly full of them flirting. (-_-;) Sorry about that. But I thought it was interesting anyway. Godai was a bit calmer than usual too. I'm going to claim that's because of Kira. Yeah, let's go with that.

******Neru-kun: **I'm glad you liked it. (^_^) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

******Teru Kisuke: **Ahahaha. Yeps! I love Sherlock! I'm so glad to meet another fan!

O.O I WISH I HAD THOUGHT OF IT! I totally would have done it! But I already finished that arc. (T^T) *sniff* Ah well, it probably would have confused my readers if Yako met Sherlock Holmes. They won't understand why he was such a jerk. (^_^)

Yep, Yako doesn't like them dead. And you'll have to see where that leads. *sneaky eyes* Thank yo so much for reading and reviewing!

**mouse: **When is he not? lol. One feels truly bad for Yako at times. And I have no doubt that whatever he worte she didn't even notice until the flight was long over. I'm glad you're enjoying it! Ahahahha! Yep! They're really funny! He reminds me of L a bit in that way. But I loved L, so that's fine. (^_^) I actually stopped reading when L died. (T^T) The Live Action movie ending was better. Thank yo so much for reading and reviewing!

******MilissaRukia: **I see, I see. It's been a while since I've watched the anime. And it does bear a slight resemblance. Yep, they're both mystery buffs. Though I guess Neuro would just be more of a glutton. Yako is always worrying Neuro. (^-^) I like how annoyed Neuro is that Yako is "accident prone". (^_^) He's getting bold with the whole boyfriend thing. And I completely understand why he would carry her to get to places faster. I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to do that to people. Anyway, thank you for reading and reviewing!

**kurono-aijin: **Ahaha. Yep, I've been fast recently. Actually, I'm out of school. No break for me. (-_-) But I've been trying to be better with updating. And all the reviews make me shirk other responsibilities and make me write. SO thank you for them! And for reading!


	33. SIDE STORY Fairy Tale

**Disclaimer:** I don't own MTNN

**Notes:** No-one's POV. Notes to reviewers at end. Sorry for the wait. I'm on a trip for a week. This is the story of how Ishigaki met everyone. Srry it's another side story. Enjoy!

* * *

Once apon a time in an orphanage relative to where you live, there lived four boys.

Each of them were very different, but each of them had one thing in common: they weren't happy.

The first boy was very strong, but because of that strength, everyone feared him. And because of their fear he had no friends. All who came to adopt a child thought to themselves that they didn't want such a scary child in their home.

The second child was very smart. But he was also very scared of germs-which anyone who has been in a house full of children before would undertand why this boy barely left his room, and why he had no friends. All who came to adopt a child thought to themselves that they didn't want such a difficult child in their home.

The third child was very sneaky. He always knew what was going on in the lives of the people around him. But he dearly loved plants, and could never be found far from one. The children mocked him for his love, branding him a weirdo and causing him to take refuge in the plants he loved. All who came to adopt a child thought to themselves that they didn't want such a weird child in their home.

The forth child was a bit different. This boy was very popular, loved by all who met him. But he was also very vain and untrusting. So while he had many friends, he didn't trust a single one. He deturred all who wanted to adopt him, sure that they would leave him just as his mother had.

These four children may have lived their whole lives with such sadness and selfloathing, if not for a fifth boy.

This boy was blatant and honest, a bit of an idiot but with a kind heart. His stupidity and strong love of cartoons quickly made him a laughing stock among the other students.

But not once did he seem angry or hurt by their words. He loved what he loved and didn't care what others said.

This caught the attention of the third boy, who, in his favorite maple tree, introduced himself. The fifth boy didn't understand why the third boy loved plants so much, but he realized that they were very important to him. They soon became friends.

This got even more ridicule from the other children, who mocked them saying that weirdos always stick together. But that didn't mater to the boy who didn't care or the boy who had his first friend.

The fifth boy, in his stupidity, also had no fear. He greated all regardless if they openly mocked him or even beat him. This caught the attention of the first boy. The fifth boy talked to him without fear, even when the third boy was warning him it was dangerous. The first boy slowly joined the other two, after much work in convincing the third boy he wasn't going to harm them.

While this did bring more ridicule, the mocking was now a whisper, for fear of bringing the wrath of the first boy.

The fifth boy was also very kind. He noticed the second boy disliked anything dirty, and so went out of his way to help keep him clean. The second boy had never had such kindness shown to him, and in his happiness offered to do the group of 3's homework for them.

This immediately endeared him to the group, who now worked together to help the second boy, as well as easily let him into the group. Which actually may have been the second boy's plan after all. And it was a brilliant one, for for an extra 20 minutes of work each day he had gained three friends.

This gained the attention of the fourth boy, who was not keen on homework. He tried to force the second boy to do his homework as well. The second boy's 3 new friends however, were quick to come to his rescue. And the fifth boy, in his honesty, told the fourth boy he didn't like him

Having never been told he was disliked before, the fourth boy grew angry and led the rest of the children in ostrasizing and bullying the group. And the four children may have been so treated until they were 18 if it hadn't been for one event in paticular.

The fourth boy accidently spilled soda on a senior in the school, and this action lead to said senior gathering his friends and beating the fourth boy up. The fourth boy called in vain to his 'friends' who feared the seniors and wouldn't help.

The group of four however, also saw the act. The first, second and third boys were content to watch their long time perscutor get what he deserved.

The fifth boy, however, was different.

He ran into the group, shielding the fourth boy from the blows and yelling insults at the seniors.

The other three boys were reluctant to help, but unwilling to leave the fifth boy alone.

The first boy ran into the fight, pulling the seniors off of his friend and enemy and proving he was to be feared after all.

The second boy ran to call a teacher, proving to be the smart one. The third boy threw pinecones from the bushes, eaching hitting their mark dead on. Proving...something.

After the fight was broken up, the fourth boy asked the fifth boy why he had helped him. The fifth boy responded because it wasn't fair. "Even with all the times I've bullied you?" the fourth boy wanted to know. "This and that are seperate things." the fifth boy stated firmly.

The fourth boy broke out into uncontrolable laughter, and didn't stop laughing the whole way back to the orphanage.

The fourth boy thanked the first, second, third and fifth boys for their help in the car on the way back to the orphanage.

The fourth boy's friends surrounded him as soon as he arrived, apologizing and such for not helping him.

The fourth boy merely smiled and said: "I didn't expect any different." He was quickly ostrasized by his words.

But he found himself being forced to join the group of four instead. And he realized he was much happier than he had ever been.

He had found some friends worth trusting.

None of the five were ever adopted, whether by circumstance or choice. They had found their family-all thanks to one blatant and honest, stupid and kind-hearted boy.

The first grew up and used his strength to the full, bringing peace to the area he lived with a motorcycle gang that even the Yakuza feared.

The second boy used his brains to the full, inventing and marketing the best cleaning supplies and becoming quite rich in the process.

The third boy grew up to live out his dream of living in the biggest tree in Japan. Even if it was illegal.

The fourth boy grew up to not have to work a day in his life, instead mooching off of others. And they loved him for it, even though he still didn't trust them.

The fifth boy, whether or not it was his dream, grew up to be the police chief of Tokyo.

And they all lived in their own relative happily ever afters, always remaining the best of friends.

* * *

**Notes2: Hope you liked it!**

**Neru-kun:** Yay! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**MilissaRukia :** I think Godai gets to see a diff side of Kira too. (^_^)Kira would _kill _anyone who would get in the way of her and Godai. I thought that was cute too. Godai likes Kira alot. Kira is pretty tricky, slightly forcing Godai to propose. Ah well. I like Neuro and Kira interacting too. You'll have to see how that turns out. (^_^) Thank you for reading and reviewing. Srry the update wasn't as fast this time.

**Mouse: **It totally ruined it. Yep, he did. (^_^) He is a total tsundere. Yeah. He kills a mouse. O.O I hate him. Yeah, Fukunaga is a bit weird. Over all interesting though. Srry for the short response. I'm running out of time to write. (-_-;) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing though! I love long reviews!

**Silvermooncat: **Ah, so you've been watching for a while then. I don't know about molly. She's too kind. He needs someone meaner and maybe smarter. But Molly just might make him a proper person though. (^_^) I think Kira and Godai are coming along nicely too. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing.

**kurono-aijin: **I'm glad you're ok with the OCxMC pairing. (^_^) And I hope you're enjoying the story after all. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Tookany: **I'm glad you think he's IC. (^_^) I always worry whether or not he is. Same with the OCxMC pairing. I'm so glad you don't hate them! I'm frankly shocked no one has yet. (^_^) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!


	34. Response Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Just some fluff. Sorry for the wait. I have barely had time to sleep, let alone write. And no internet connection either. You have no idea what lengths I had to go to to get this written. That being said, I hope you enjoy it. **Yako's POV.**

* * *

I wasn't talking to Neuro.

I had walked through the entire airport, in front of hundreds of cameras with the words "Piggy Detective" written in bold on my forehead. A pig was draw on both of my cheeks and a pig nose over mine.

I was livid.

And of course Neuro just laughed.

So I wasn't talking to him. The problem with that was the fact he didn't seem to mind, being used to hours of silence at a time.

But every time he threw something at me, or threw me against a wall, I bit my tongue.

I wasn't going to let out so much as a squeak as I dodged and rolled myself out of harms way.

Even Neuro had to pick up something was odd at a point.

"You're being rather quiet today louse."

The words were lazy and he wasn't looking at me as he spoke them. But they had a strength to them I recognized.

I had managed to annoy him.

I kept my silence and flipped through the Swedish paper in front of me.

A few moments after I didn't respond I could feel his eyes burning a hole into the side of my head.

I refused to look.

The chair he sat in creaked slightly as he got off of it, walking over to where I sat dangerously slowly.

"Louse?"

I put the paper in my hand down and turned to look at him, keeping my mouth firmly shut.

His eyes were dark and a hand promptly grabbed the top of my head and squeezed.

"I'm talking to you louse. It's only polite to answer."

As if he had been polite when he scribbled all over my face.

With my silence being obvious now, he used his other hand to pry my mouth open.

"Have you grown so stupid you've forgotten how to speak? I thought speaking was your specialty."

I glared past the hand shoved a bit too deep down my throat.

Neuro was no longer hiding his annoyance, and yanked his hand out of my mouth with painful force.

"Are you seriously going to continue this louse? We know you'll talk again eventually."

Yes, I would. But not until my anger had cooled.

With a slight growl at my silent response Neuro threw me up in the air, catching me in my stomach with his elbow before I could hit the ground.

My teeth clacked together, and I felt my lip bleed as it caught between them.

I laid on the ground holding my stomach as Neuro walked away in apparent satisfaction.

Jerk.

He was only making me stay angry for longer.

I stood up and brushed the blood from my lip. I hate split lips. They always sting and never seem to heal.

Neuro plopped down in his chair before speaking again. "You really should think things through before you do them louse. Ignoring me will do you no good."

He looked up from his desk of papers to see me glaring at him.

A didn't even have time to blink before he was directly in my face.

I almost let out a gasp of sheer surprise.

His face was less then a foot away from mine, and I could almost feel his breath on me. An uncomfortable distance to be from the person you're trying to ignore.

"You're bleeding."

A hand reached up and brushed the cut on my lip, and the world grew sharp from the pain and the contact.

I clenched my teeth and glared at him. And whose fault did he think it was that I was bleeding? I should explain to him that all the bruises he gave me were _internal _bleeding.

Well, if I was talking to him I would.

He was watching my reaction closely, and upon my glare he pulled back slightly.

Of course he realized he was the reason I would have a painful split lip the rest of the week. He would be stupid not to.

Turning on his heal, he left the room, and found myself wondering if he had left the building before he showed up again.

He marched over to where I stood, and forced my mouth open again. This time he didn't shove a hand in however, but instead placed a band-aid on my cut.

The glue tasted disgusting, and the side he pushed onto the inside of my lip instantly started peeling off.

But how could I expect Neuro to know band-aids weren't made for inside of your mouth?

I touched the band-aid lightly, avoiding eye contact.

"Does it still hurt?"

Did he expect it to stop just because he put a band-aid on it? What exactly did he think a band-aid did?

I still avoided eye contact. I feared if I saw his face I'd forgive him.

A hand was placed on the side of my face, and a thumb pressed lightly on the band-aid.

"I promise I won't draw on your face in public anymore."

The words were soft, and voice slightly arrogant. Like a child trying to trick his way out of a punishment.

I took a deep breath.

This was as close to an apology as he was going to get.

"If you do I'm not going to talk to you again for a week."

A smile broke out on Neuro's face.

"I told you you'd talk eventually."

The jerk.

* * *

**Tookany: **I always thought Ishigaki could have had so much potential. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. (^_^) You seem like a new reader (or at least a new reviewer) so thank you for choosing my story to read. I love being able to talk to my reviewers, and I appreciate every review so much. Thank you for yours (^_^)

**Encuentrame: **Thank you. (^_^) You got your wish! Even if it's just some fluff. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**mouse: **I'm glad you like it. (^_^) I hope so too. Sorry for the wait for a new chapter. I hope you enjoyed it and it stopped your worries for a bit. I'm sure you'll do fine! Have lots of fun! And thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Neru-kun: **You'll have to see. O.O No prob. (^_^) So the update took so long. And I completely understand video game addiction. (^_^) Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**lunabloodmoon666: ** read fast then, lol. I'm glad I haven't lost my writting touch! Thank you for continuing to read, and for reviewing again! I remember you reviewed before. (^_^)


	35. Girl Talk Kanae

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** Sorry for the wait again.** Kanae's POV**. Note to reviewers at end. Thank you so much for your reviews!

* * *

I paced in front of the door, far too excited to wait patiently.

I knew it all along!

I had told her too-but would she listen? Of course not. Since when had that become part of her personality? She was always so humble, but when it came to the subject she knew best; people, she was so arrogant at times. A trait so unlike her too. Maybe she picked it up from that Yakuza she's been affiliated with.

I was practically jumping now.

Why was she so slow?

The sun was probably setting quicker than she was driving, which wasn't hard to imagine seeing how it was already almost below the horizon.

A car I didn't recognize pulled into the driveway, Yako-chan in the driver's seat.

Where was her car? Or was it Nogami-san's? Both of them drove it and both of them referred to it as "my car". They had moved on to the "newly wed" stage before they even knew they were dating! How cute!

I was out the door before Yako-chan even opened her car door.

"Yako-chan!"

She flinched at the volume of my voice, face obviously dreading the "I told you so" faze.

Well, I wasn't going to say it. Let her wallow in the remembrance that I was right all along.

Yako-chan got out of the car, following me back inside my apartment before speaking.

"I'm really sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but I really wanted to answer Neuro before talking to anyone about it."

I ignored her unneeded apology.

"So, are you going to meet his parents? How did you know he was seriously dating you? How did he confess?"

Yako-chan's surprise showed on her face, softening into a smile.

"Down to business right away huh?"

"You know it! Wait-we're missing something."

I ran back into the kitchen to get the two things I had left in there.

A tray with six gallons of ice-cream on it, and Kira.

Yako-chan's eye's lit up when she saw the ice-cream, and her smile grew at the sight of Kira. I had worried for a moment if I had made a mistake when I invited her-she was Nogami-san's sister after all, and I knew Yako-chan viewed her as a very close friend, so in the end I had assumed it would be fine.

I plopped down on the floor next to the pile of blankets I had put out, leaning against the couch while grabbing a spoon and carton of frozen goodness. Everyone knows the best girl talks are had with blankets and ice-cream.

Yako-chan followed suit with Kira close behind her.

"So, I believe I asked you some questions." I dug a spoon into the slightly melting desert.

Yako-chan glanced at Kira and I before shoving a spoon with enough ice-cream on it to fill a small bowl in her mouth. A common stalling tactic.

"In order: I don't think I'm going to miss his parents; because of how he confessed; he told me he wanted to be with me his whole life."

My mind was nearly bursting from this new information. This promised to be an exciting night, but I would be patient and question the subjects in the order she answered them. "Wait, why won't you meet his parents?"

Yako-chan looked at Kira, who answered for her. "Because we're orphans. Both our parent's died."

I had forgotten Kira's involvement rather quickly, and felt bad for my rash question. "I'm so sorry! How did they die, may I ask?"

"Sickness." Kira seemed to be getting upset, and I began to think this topic may be a bit too deep and depressing to get into right now.

"I'm sorry to have made you think of something unpleasant. Let's change the subject." Kira nodded her approval. I tried to tone down my excitement at this next topic.

"So when Neuro confessed he basically proposed?"

Yako-chan had been staring intently at Kira until the conversation switched back to her.

"Yes." It was rare of her to be so honest~! How exciting!

"How did you answer him?" Yako-chan swallowed, and I noticed Kira seemed to extra interested in this topic as well. "I told him that I believed he loved me, and I did love him, but I wasn't sure if it was romantic love or not. So we decided to date to find out."

I was flabbergasted. "So you basically told him to make you fall for him?" "No! He's not sure if it's romantic love either!" "Why would he propose if he wasn't sure?" "It's a complicated situation."

I sighed. It always was with Yako-chan.

Well, knowing her, she was probably just ignoring the obvious.

"Ok, then how far have you gone?" I grinned. This question was definitely going to annoy Yako-chan, but it was essential.

"Gone?" Yako-chan's face was one big question mark before it slowly dawned on her.

"Um...we've held hands."

The room was silent.

"You mean you've _only _held hands?"

"Well, I've hugged him too. Mostly accidently. You were there for that."

"So the farthest you've gone is what I saw?"

I wished there was a table for me to flip.

"Oh come on!"

"He said he's never felt like kissing me."

...

Wait.

What?

He.

Said.

WHAT?

"Oh my goodness Yako-chan. We're going to have to try so much harder! How could he say that to you?"

Kira yawned. "He's just a late bloomer. Give him some time."

She was ignoring the seriousness of this. Or was it just like Nogami-san's personality? Was he afraid of germs or something?

"Did you ever ask him why he didn't want to kiss you?"

Yako-chan was silent.

A no I see.

"Ask him!"

"But I don't want to! I don't even want to get that serious yet! And knowing Neuro once he gets serious the pace is going to escalate insanely!"

I sighed.

Yako-chan, Yako-chan.

Did she really think she'd be able to keep her hard won boyfriend this way?

"ASK. HIM."

Yao-chan pouted.

"No! We'll go at our own pace. I'm not going to let anyone push or force this relationship."

As if I had ever been able to.

"Ok, enough about me. What about you Kanae-chan? Do you have a new boyfriend you want to brag about?"

Jerk. Rubbing salt in my single wounds.

"No."

"That's rare."

Kira's head perked up.

"You looking? I know this really nice guy who works for me. You'd have to promise not to cheat on him though. He's had enough backstabbers in his life as it is."

I grinned. "Is he cute?"

"Wait, he works for you?" Yako-chan's eyes were big.

"Yeah. Though he's fairly new, I don't have many under me." "Are you sure it's a good idea to introduce him to Kanae-chan?"

Kira looked me up and down in a way that made me feel slightly uncomfortable. Lie she was sizing me up.

"She's nice enough, and pretty."

"That's not the poi-"

"I have a picture of him."

Kira went to pull her wallet out of her purse.

"Why do you have a picture?"

"Research purposes."

Ok? Employee background check or something?

She handed me the picture.

I smiled at it.

He was definitely cute. Though he did have a bit of a weird fashion sense.

Maybe he liked to act tough?

Yako-chan glanced over my shoulder at the picture.

"Bandana?"

Both Kira and I tilted our heads at her.

"Ah, no, I've just met him before. He seems..." Yako-chan thought for a second before continuing. "nice. I guess."

Kira proceeded to give me his number.

"Remember what I said about cheating on him. And he is under my protection, so if you mess with him I'm going to have to take care of you." Kira spoke the words with a cheerful smile, and I laughed at her joke.

Yako-chan seemed less amused.

She was probably just jealous I was going to get a boyfriend again.

"What about you Kira? You seeing anyone?"

Kira's eyes lit up.

"Yes! My Shinobu~!"

She smiled sweetly to herself.

"Shinobu?"

"Godai Shinobu actually."

I froze.

That Yakuza looking guy I'd met a while ago? Was that safe?

"Are you sure about him? Isn't he a Yakuza?"

Kira tilted her head.

"Yakuza? He's a businessman. And really good at Wario Kart!"

What did Wario Kart have to do with anything?

I opened my mouth to ask the question, but Yako-chan gestured not to.

"He's my fiancee now."

Both Yako-chan and I dropped our spoons.

"Fiancee?" We asked the question at the same time, our voices echoing with their intensity.

"Yep~! He to me he wanted to marry me~."

Kira bit her spoon with a huge smile on her face. It was so big it almost looked like her face would split in two.

"How long have you been dating him?"

At least she seemed to really like the scary guy.

"About three months?"

The room was silent again.

Three months?

She had been dating him for three months and they were already engaged?

Yako-chan could learn some things from this girl.

"Are you sure he's not just messing with you or something?"

Kira's eyes were sharp as they turned towards me.

"Shinobu? He's not the type."

He seemed exactly like the type.

"And if that were the case I'd just have to make sure he can't live without me anymore."

Kira's smile was too bright for her words.

Even Yako-chan looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Ah, well...if you're sure."

Kira glanced at the clock.

"Actually, I should be going. Thanks for including me in this girl talk!"

"Eh~! You're not sleeping over?"

Kira stood up and slid on her shoes.

"Sorry, I can't. Have fun with Yako though."

I smiled.

Oh, I would.

I would get Yako-chan to tell me every single detail of her and Nogami-san's relationship since they first met.

We definitely weren't sleeping tonight.

* * *

**Notes2: **A bit more filler. The plot picks back up next though.

**Teru Kisuke: **I'm glad you're enjoying it. (^_^) I like How GodaixKira interact too. Though I thought Kira was more scary than anything else that chapter. She's very easily jealous, and rather manipulative. Like how she practically she manipulated Godai into proposing. And it also showed off how possessive she is. With the power she has I definitely wouldn't want to be the one getting in-between her and Godai.

I like the story with Ishigaki too. I like how it was written story book style though not very well since I have never written in it before. I could use some practice. You're original story? O.O If you ever would like some one to read it I'd love to! You don't have to feel pressured into sharing though. I'm working on 3 originals right now, but I'd dare never show them to anyone. I'd have to polish them completely first. So I understand if you don't want to share.

Neuro always is a bit softer on Yako. (^_^) Thankfully, Yako isn't completely blind to that. She's not the type that wouldnt' notice kindness. ...if that's what you can call Neuro's actions.

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

p.s. Uwah! How old are you going to be? Wait...don't answer that. That's one of those things we're not supposed to give out on the internet. As for books, any Miss Marple or Hercule Poriot books would be awesome. I mostly read Agatha Christie...ah! 'The Seven Dials' That was really good. Unfortunately most of the mystery books I read are mainstream. Srry...

**Encuentrame: **Lol, I'm glad. (^_^) Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**MilissaRukia: **I'm glad it didn't seem too long. (^_^) And I was planning on building up the back-story more, but thought it would be too annoying. And I didn't really want anymore characters in my head, [WAY too confusing] so I stuck with what I wrote.

Lol. It's the only way Yako can fight back. And it really annoys Neuro. Perhaps Neuro will be more careful with her in the future? Well, I doubt that though. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Neru-kun: **Yay! I'm glad you love it! I'm glad it brought a smile to your face. (^_^) Ahahahahaha! I'm glad I could help creep them out. You are quite welcome! Hope you enjoyed this one too! (^_^) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Honeybeemelissa: **I'm so glad you think so! Thought I assume you meant "fan fics" not "fabrics". Auto correct? Though it would be much more interesting if you actually had meant fabrics. O.O Anywayz, thank you so much for reading and reviewing! And I think this is your first time? I hope you continue to enjoy the story. (^_^)

**kurono-aijin: **Ahahahaha. Blatant bribery. Neuro is definitely not above it. Ironically, Neuro could have bought Yako icecream too. O.O Lolz. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!


	36. Bump in the Night Neuor

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: ** **Neuro****'s POV.** Sorry for the wait. The long wait. I've been uber busy, and honestly not in a writing mood. Hopefully you enjoy the chapter. Notes to reviewers at end.

* * *

The room was quiet and dark, perfect silence turned to humming within the closed walls.

If I focused hard enough I could make out the sounds of neighbors talking in their houses and cars I didn't recognize driving on the main road some distance away. But I preferred my solitude, dulling my own hearing so I could hear nothing beyond the humming of silence.

Yako had told me not to follow her.

She had been quite clear that she needed something she elusively called 'girl time' and wouldn't be back till morning.

The sun had already set, and if I was human I would be blinded by the darkness.

But I wasn't, and the room glared obviously empty.

Except for me.

I considered bothering Yako anyway, but reminded myself I had truly meant it when I told her I would let her have this 'girl time'. I wouldn't go back on my words.

I breathed in deeply to release a sigh, pausing with the bitter and sharp air still half way in my lungs. One difference about oxygen and miasma: oxygen carried scents much better.

It was barely noticeable, and the room still hummed in perfect silence. But I knew a fox when I smelled one.

"Have you come to pay me a visit fox? I doubt you imagine Yako is here."

The silence was shattered by a small rustling noise, and the fox slid out from under the bed, the paper door disappearing behind her.

"You're quite sharp aren't you parrot?"

"Did you expect to enter the room unnoticed?"

"I suppose not. If I was human I'd think it was odd that you're sitting in the dark by yourself."

"If you were human you wouldn't enter the room under the bed."

The fox smiled at this. "Fair enough. Missing your trial mate?"

"You didn't come here to chat, and smelling the faint scent of Yako on you, you just came from seeing her. No doubt you were part of this 'girl talk'."

"I was. They were talking about you ya know. Aren't you curious?"

"You're stalling again. What exactly did you come here for?"

The fox bared a fang, out of annoyance not anger.

"You won't take the bait even a little bit? I'm here alleviating your boredom for you."

"Who said I was bored?"

"Oh please. No mystery for you to solve and no Yako to converse with? I'm shocked your brain has died from malnutrition yet."

"Fine, so I'm a bit bored. But that is no reason for me to indulge you."

With a tsk the fox jumped to the ceiling to face the same direction I was.

"Fine. I require your assistance. With a puzzle no less, so no doubt that will be enough to peek your interest."

"Wasn't it you who said you don't get anything for free?"

"Isn't a puzzle enough of a payment?"

"I had to die last time I had to pay you, I think you should work a little harder paying me."

"I see. What if I told you I knew the location of Masa Kin?"

The world sharpened at her words, and my eyes followed suit.

"And I'm supposed to believe you?"

"Believe me or not, help me out and I'll tell you where he is-or at least where he wass as of two days ago. Surely someone of your status could find him easily enough with such information?"

I considered. It was unlikely the fox would lie to me.

"Surely you'll tell us this information anyway?"

"But only after three more days have passed-enough time for the trail to grow cold, don't you think?"

I growled.

"You need my help that badly then?"

"Yes."

The fox spoke seriously and honestly.

I just hoped the puzzle was worth it.

"And what may you need help with?"

"If you want to know you'll have to bear with a little story first."

"A story?"

"Yep. And it goes something like this:

_Once upon a time in a land full of war, there were two particular groups who greatly hated one another. _

_The first group was very powerful, but few in number. And the land they thought was so beautiful was poisonous to them. But nonetheless, they fought to have a place to melt away in the poison just to be able to spend time in the beauty of the land._

_The second group was very weak, but very numerous, adding to their numbers with far more ease than the first group, and filling this beautiful land with shear numbers. This land was perfect for them, and slowly they learned how to use the best of what little strengths they had in the beautiful land. _

_The second group feared the first for their power, and the first group despised the second for their weakness and the ease in which they lived in that beautiful land. So a war started, and much blood was shed. _

_The second group was far weaker than the first, but they had the home ground and eventually overwhelmed the first group with their numbers and ingenuity. So the first group bitterly returned to their barren land, only sneaking visits to the beautiful land under the cover of night. _

_A woman of the first group, a fox, was especially fond of the beautiful land, and visited as often as she could. In her visits she came across a young and poor farmer, who was often laughed at for his gullible demeanor. The fox also laughed, finding him easy to trick and easy to fool. But his kindness soon won her heart, and in a moment of passion, she revealed her true form to the man. _

_The farmer didn't run as she had expected, nor did he looked afraid or even surprised. He merely stated the fox was much to beautiful to be of this world, and so it made perfect sense to him. The fox was enchanted by his words, and in her love and with what little she could do while only visiting in the night, she made the farmer powerful and rich indeed. _

_The fox eventually came to be with child, much to her shock and delight, and she informed the farmer-who was just as pleased as she was. The fox hastened to inform her family of the soon to be new addition. The family praised the young fox, whom they had worried was interested in no man, but upon hearing who the father was, their praise turned to disgust. _

_The young fox was beaten and bruised, and it was all she could do to keep the child inside of her safe. She ran to the farmer who was horrified at her injuries, and vowed to keep her safe from those who wished her harm. And so the farmer created a puzzle-a maze unlike any other-with the young fox at the center, and only them two knowing the way out. "I will bring you food and water, you merely need to have a safe child birth, and then we can travel as far away from here as we can." _

_The farmer kept his promise, visiting his beloved once a week with meat and water to keep her well, though all the while he seemed sicker and sicker. And no matter what she would ask him he merely told her to keep safe and healthy-for the baby if not for herself. _

_The child was borne a day before the farmers weekly visit, and the young fox hugged her child with tears. "My dearest child, it is a great miracle that I could bear such a child for the man I love!" And the fox ran, carrying the child with her through the maze and out. As soon as the outside air hit her and the child, the smell of blood filled their noses. _

_A familiar smelling blood. _

_The farmer sat at the maze entrance, a sword through his heart, and surrounded by those from the nearby village. As the fox walked into the light, a cry rose from the crowd: "The siren who seduced and used this man has appeared! Slay her!"_

_The young fox's heart broke in that instant, as well as her mind, and the arrows shot by the villagers had barely left the bow before the young fox's claws had ripped them to shreds, her child all but forgotten at the entrance of the maze. _

_With rage and fury the fox burned the dead until not even their ashes were left. With eyes full of water and fire she ran to her beloved's side, an ounce of life still in him. "I swear to you my love, I will punish every creature that denied our love, and destroy everything in this world before following you through deaths door." _

_The farmer held his last breath, and looked deeply at his beloved, whom in her madness was no more. And he looked at the child at the entrance of the maze, just borne and soaking in the world around her. The world her mother had just vowed to destroy. The child which would be destroyed as well. And with his last breath still held, and his last ounce of life, the farmer stood and pushed his beloved back into the maze, twisting and turning the paths to an impossible route, sealing and betraying the one he loved most in the world to stop her from carrying out her plan. _

_And the child watched with wide eyes as her father fell dead to the ground."_

The room fell silent as the fox finished her story, and I blinked away the blood soaked scene that was still burned into my eyes. Foxes are well known for their story telling, their easy way of twisting words sucking you into their tale. One of the reasons most killed foxes before they were able to open their mouths.

"And the puzzle you want me to solve?"

The fox smiled.

"The maze obviously."

* * *

******Note2: **Back story. O.O Hope you liked it.

******Encuentrame:** Lol, I thought it'd be a cute plot bunny, though I don't really know if I'm going to make anything of it. Kanae would flip out if she knew that. O.O Now you're going to be able to see a bit of Kira and Neuro bonding. I love writing their conversations. Their both very witty and smart, and both hold no bars in talking to one another. Truly refreshing to write. Hope you enjoyed this chapter as well! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Honeybeemelissa: **O.O READ THE MANGA! Lol. It'll make much more sense to you then. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! Sorry I went awol a bit...I hope you enjoyed this chapter too, and hope you enjoy the chapters to come! You have a very interesting art style. . Very cool and very unique. I loved the flame too. Cool use of shadows.

One of my fav scenes visually is in chapter 3 of "Balance" where Neuro is in front of the burning cars. Of course, I don't want you to feel you have to draw something, or have to draw that particular scene, just a suggestion. (^_^) I know creative flows don't always allow you to chose where to go. I'm extremely flattered by the offer though, and thank you very much for it. (^_^) Thank you too for reading and reviewing.

**************Teru Kisuke: **I might. Or maybe just make reference to it or something. Not sure if I'm going to take it anywhere though. I just thought it would be funny. (^_^)

Lol. I'm glad Godai has mutual feelings. Imagine if he didn't. O_O Now that would be scary.

I'm glad you enjoyed it! Really? Cool. (^_^) I would love to read them! Though don't feel as if you have to share them of course. And I understand that, lol. I always have random ideas floating in and out of my mind, and they all want to be stories. xP

Sorry, but I'm far too insecure to share them. I feel ok writing this fan fic since the characters are already established, but sharing my own are kinda scary, since they are are a part of me. ...if that makes sense. I thank you for your compliment though. (^_^)

Lol.

I'm glad the suggestions were helpful. (^_^) And Agatha is one of the best mystery writers of all time-in my perspective any way, though I think I mentioned they may be hard to understand since some are in old English. I like both of those books. O.O But I never played the game. I have seen them though. Maybe I'll borrow them from the library and try them out. (^_^)

[Trying to to have spoilers] Did you watch all the way to the end? For the story will be rather easy to progress, and I guessed the ending too. The last five seconds are crucial. (^_-) THank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**********mouse:** Don't worry about it. (^_^) Thank you for reviewing at all. Lol, apparently he's never needed one. Well, he thinks he hasn't anyway. You know Kanae-any way she can, lol. Congratz! I hope it's still going well for you! And that reeks. (-_-) I hope they're doing better now. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Tookany: **Hope you enjoyed this chapter too. And I try to tie everything together. (^_^) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**********kurono-aijin:** Ahahahaha! At least he's honest! (^_^) Thank you for reading and reviewing.

******Neru-kun: **Sorry my dedication fell through...well, to be honest, I'd rather come out with chapters I feel are acceptable rather than fast ones. Hope that's ok. (^_^) And I hope your story is going well. (^_^) Sorry, no YxN, but you'll get to see some of Kira's backstory and some of Neuro's genius. And maybe I can work in Kira teasing Neuro about Yako too. (^_^) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing.

**honeyvonbunny: **Why thank you. (^_^) It's one of the smartest TV shows I've seen in a while, and one of the best written ones too.

Uwah! I'm so embarrassed. (#^_^#) Thank you! For the time you took to comment and make and account! THank you very much! I try my best to stay IC, and I'm glad you think I'm doing that. (^_^)

Thank you, and once I finish this story I'm definitely going to miss all of you! But I'm planning at the end to have a question and answer chapter (which I'll let readers and reviewers ask questions to the characters about whatever) and an epilogue so people don't wonder what happened. So if you have any questions I'll have an A/N asking if anyone does and leave it for a week or so for everyone to get a chance to ask. I hope that will provide some closure to my readers at least. And thank you so much for even bothering to read my scribbling. I'm always amazed that someone likes the crap I come out with. (^_^) Thank you so very much for reading and for reviewing.

**MilissaRukia: **Ahahahaha. Kanae definitely has a warped view all right. I really thought Yako needed someone smart and not afraid on her side, which is one of the main reasons I made her. I'm glad you think she's served her purpose. (^_^)

And you may be surprised at how Neuro feels about Kira. Yes, the 'fox' annoys the crap out of him, but he definitely respects her in a way. You'll be able to get a better idea of their relationship in the chapters to come. (^_^)

I"m glad you enjoyed it! And I absolutely love my readers and reviewers! I'm always shocked people read my stories, and even more shocked they'd bother enough to review-and even draw for them! I'm almost beside myself with happiness when I see a review is added or even when my story page views go up! I also get enjoyment out of learning more about the characters the more I write. I hope you have as much fun writing as I do. (^_^) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Namei: **I'm so glad it seems natural! And that you're enjoying it! I also hope the characters are growing well. (^_^) Sorry you had to wait so long for the next chapter, and I'm glad Kira doesn't annoy you too! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!


	37. Triangle Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** **Neuro's POV**. Notes to reviewers at end.

* * *

The pages filled the wall, swirls and patterns made of forgotten words outlining the door made of paper.

A draft smelling of water and salt filled the room, and the pages were held together only by the lines that connected them.

The fox closed the book she held, it seeming no smaller for all the pages torn out of it.

"The fastest way to get to the maze entrance." She tapped the book in her hands.

"I thought your mother died right after your birth. How did you manage to get a hold of that?"

The fox smiled. "It was buried at the entrance of the maze. It's how the maze was created and how it was altered, a truly sought after treasure. It can make even the impossible reality."

"But not without a price."

The fox's gaze slid to meet mine, a sharpness in their look. "Haven't I told you? Nothing in this world is free, tho the prices sometimes differ."

"And the price you'll pay for this?"

"Won't be due until tomorrow at day break. I have no doubt you'll be long done solving the puzzle before then."

I nodded, reaching for the door knob in front of me; though it still looked some what flat. Nonetheless, my hand bent around it, and the knob slowly turned.

The draft grew stronger, and the door swung open to show a beach before us, the waves lapping at the door.

"It seems we've made it in time for high tide."

A wave crashed through the door frame, soaking Yako's carpet and spraying her bed and walls with sea salt.

"Shall we?" The fox stepped into the water, a wave swallowing her as she did.

I growled lightly at the wave as it crashed down on me. I was already soaked.

I passed through the water and out the door, feeling the paper melt in the water behind me. The wave was already washing back out to sea, and I turned to walk towards the beach and the fox who was waiting for me.

"Welcome to the island of Andros. It contains the entrance to the maze."

"A bit far from Japan, aren't we?"

"And yet just a step away. A rather good hiding spot for the maze too." The fox turned to look out at the ocean. "Fancy a stroll?"

I snorted. "And you expect me to believe a human farmer could survive a trip in the ocean?"

"I did tell you he changed the maze, but the landscape has also changed a bit in over four hundred years. Well, whether you believe me is your business of course. But after traveling here so easily you should realize a lot of things are possible."

The ocean in front of me roared and crashed, a storm rolling in from the north.

The fox completely ignored the waves and walked into the ocean as calmly as if she was walking into a quiet room. I sighed before following.

The waves were soon above our heads, and the ocean bed gave way to a depth few humans will ever be able to comprehend. But what to humans was a pitch black death trap was a well-lit pathway to the fox and I. A few large fish passed by, but all animals recognize a predator when they see one, and they quickly dispersed.

I took a deep breath. The water was much denser than air, and the evil and sorrows in it were so thick the water was easier to breath than the poison air I had grown accustomed too. The fox actually needed oxygen, though she seemed to be able to make due with what she could filter from the water.

"The so-called 'Bermuda Triangle'." It took a moment for my words to adjust to their surrounds, and I had to speak louder than normal to be heard. The fox's ears however, were sharp, and she seemed to pick up my words with ease.

"So many stories humans have come up with about it. But the truth is the surface is completely harmless. There is merely a feeling that this place should be feared, and because of that many people are easily fooled."

I nodded, the action slowed by the water. The pressure was now greatly increasing, and I could smell something like miasma ahead of me.

The fox stopped dead in her tracks at a coral mountain, stepping aside and turning towards me.

"It starts here. This is your puzzle to solve, feel free to go first."

I stepped forward, feeling the tingle of energy around me. "And this is what you borrowed my power for last time?"

"I was trying to smash through it. That completely failed."

I reached out a hand, a pattern appearing on the face of the mountain.

The pattern showed a circle with ridges and edges, with three circles of varying sizes on one side. A smaller circle sat below it at about eye level.

I was silent as I considered the puzzle in front of me. If this was only the entrance to the maze I was very hopeful as to what I'd find inside.

With an unsheathed claw I cut a straight line from the center of the smaller circle to the edge.

A rumbling filled the sea as a door slowly opened in the rock.

The fox eyed me with surprise. "You really are amazing sometimes."

"Only sometimes?"

The fox snorted before following me through the door.

A path lay before us with two choices-right or left.

"Now is the leg work part of the puzzle no doubt. Though I didn't expect it to be an actual maze."

"Oh, I forgot to mention. It isn't a maze. It's a labyrinth."

I turned to glare at the fox.

"I suppose that will make things easier at least."

"You would think."

I turned to the first path on the right, the door shutting behind us as we left.

We had a lot of walking to do.

.

.

.

Fortunately for us we could walk extremely fast.

Rather unfortunately, the labyrinth was so vast it took almost three hours of straight running to even get a general picture of a map. How a human managed to create such a thing was truly amazing.

I slide to a stop to recreate the maze in my mind before continuing my run. The fox followed, though not as effortlessly as she had in the beginning.

"I would just wait for you to find the exit if only I could trust you to come and get me instead of leaving me behind."

"And have me do all the work? I think not."

The fox merely nodded, no doubt knowing she had to conserve her energy as much as she could.

This wasn't going to be over quickly.

But the puzzle was already forming in my brain, and the closer I got to understanding it, the better it smelled. The whole maze practically reeked of evil intent.

.

.

.

The entire labyrinth was mapped out in my head within five hours. The problem was that there was no center. The walls merely danced around what should be the center of the maze.

I eyed the walls for clues. There must be a secret door of sorts somewhere.

Walking along the path a bit slower than before, I retraced my steps. The fox followed in silence, having barely spoken a word since we entered the maze.

I froze before what I was looking for. I column holding the wall up that was different than the others, the grain on the wood going vertical instead of up and down.

"You said you wanted to use force before, didn't you?"

The fox smiled before digging her claws into the column. I did likewise.

The wood tore like paper, much different than the rest of the maze which was unyielding as death, and a path continued behind it.

I could already sense the puzzle deep within the center. The new path was water free, leaving the water where the column had stood.

A few more steps brought us to a door, on which was tiles which were an etched a Karuji puzzle.

A quick arranging of the tiles opened the door, and the path took a sudden nose dive straight down.

Drool was forming on my chin at this point, and the puzzle's scent filled my nose.

The path opened up to a cavern the size of a small city, rock formations forming almost building-like structures.

The puzzle surrounded me and I breathed it in as we entered the center of the maze. The puzzle's strength was somewhat weakened because there was no brain to keep it fresh, but the flavor was exquisite. So much so it took me a minute to register we were not alone in the room.

A woman sat huddled at the base of one of these rocks, her hair so long the ends of it almost reached the entrance.

She looked up with dead eyes.

"More visitors."

Her voice was warped and cracked, a voice which had not been used in a very long time.

"You all visit so often. There and yet not. Though you both are new ones."

She stood slowly, as if being lifted by a string tied to her heart.

"I'll ask the same question as always. The king's trial, thee princess' choice. Which door was chosen?"

The fox glanced at me before speaking. "You'll have to tell us the whole story first."

The woman before was suddenly only a few inches from her face. The fox did well not to flinch.

"You always have to make this difficult, don't you?"

Whirling _back_ to her sitting position under the rock, the woman spoke again.

_"A barbaric king of an ancient land used an unusual form of punishment for offenders in his kingdom._

_The offender would be placed in an arena where his only way out would be to go through one of two doors._

_Behind one door was a beautiful woman hand-picked by the king and behind the other was a fierce tiger. The offender was then asked to pick one of the doors without knowing what was behind it._

_If he picked the door with the woman behind it, then he was declared innocent but was also required to marry the woman, regardless of his wishes._

_If he picked the door with the tiger behind it, though, then he was deemed guilty and the tiger would rip him to pieces._

_One day the king found that his daughter, the princess, had taken a lover far beneath her station. The king could not allow this and so he threw the offender in prison and set a date for his trial in the arena._

_On the day of his trial the young man looked to the princess for help to know which door to pick. _

_The princess did, in fact, know which door concealed the woman and which one the tiger, but was faced with a conundrum —if she indicated the door with the tiger, then the man she loved would be killed on the spot; however, if she indicated the door with the lady, her lover would be forced to marry another woman._

_ She finally did indicate a door, so, tell me, which door did she choose?"_

I frowned. This wasn't a true puzzle since there was no clue to what the answer may be.

"That would depend on the strength of her love."

The fox spoke with barely a thought, and he woman before her froze at the words.

"You're something different aren't you?"

The malice filled the room so thickly and so suddenly I almost choked in it.

I see the woman had not grown weak in her solitude. But neither had she grown sane.

The woman's claws were less than an inch away from the fox's face before my claw met hers, tearing them away from their target.

The reaction was instantaneous, the woman turning on me and managing to graze me lightly as she pulled away.

I released my human form as I completely unsheathed my claws.

Nothing was ever easy.

* * *

**Guest: **Sorry for the wait again! Life is so busy it's been driving me up the wall. I'm sure you fill your readers with joy when they see a new update. (^_^) Tho I don't know which author you are...

Thank you so much! (#^_^#) You're definitely over praising me, but I'm so glad you're enjoying it that much! I hope you enjoy the following chapters too!

Thank you! I hope my story continues to live up to your expectations, and I'm glad you liked the story. (^_^) I decided not to go too deep into Kira's past since she's an OC, but I did want to give an overall idea of how her mother came to be trapped in a maze.

Uwah! Teru Kisuke! Now I know who you are. (^_^) I'm super excited about seeing where the next season will take us. Watson is going to be furious, and there will definitely be some crying. The creators of it said they are making a next season too, which I'm glad to hear! Lol, it's hard to discuss the very end of something with out being specific. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**lunebloodmoon666: **I'm glad! Tis fine, I'm sorry I haven't written in so long, so we're even. (^_^) I got a new riddle for ya. But I'll probably update too quickly to answer it. Not to mention it isn't a true riddle. Ah well.

Glad you're liking GodaiXKira too! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Encuentrame:** Thank you! And you'll have to read on to find out. (^_^) I like them too. It sounds like me and my sister when we're arguing. And they are starting to grow on each other. There's more YxN to come! ENjoy!Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**MilissaRukia: **Wow. That reeks. Glad it didn't seem long to you though. (^_^) I'm glad it's not boring you since it's an OC's story.

Aw! Thank you! Exciting! It's always best to get it right then rush, so I can understand that. Yep, it definately is. Unfortunately, I usually write when I'm depressed, which while it makes the best chapters isn't good for my health. But I'm quick to snap back, so it's not too bad.

Try to dream your story, imagining it right before you sleep. I've gotten some ideas that way. (^_^) I hope it goes well! Thank you! And thank you for reading and reviewing!

**honeyvonbunny: **I hope the story was worth looking forward too! And I have yet to picture the epilogue, so I hope it'll be good. Thank you so very much for reading and reviewing! (^_^)

**Guest: **Thank you so much! And I'm surprised you can tell my emotions affect my story. Well, I suppose it would be hard for them not to. (^_^) Hey, I think I reek at writing too, but I'm told otherwise. Maybe you're not as bad as you think. Either way, practice makes perfect. I hope you can build the gift of writing for yourself if you really want it. (^_^) I'm so glad you like it! Thank you! I hope you continue to enjoy it right to the end! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

******Neru-kun:** You'll have to see, though I must admit the story turned a bit from my original version. Ah well, it never does what I want. I hope you're not dissapointed by the stories ending, but I think it turned out well. Relatively speaking at least. Anyway, thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Little Miss Sugar Less: **I'm glad you liked it! And be curious no more! Lol. Thank you for reading and reviewing.

**********mouse:** O.O You'll just have to wait and see. It tis a tradgedy at least. Yep, I like um too. They enjoy messing with each other. At least I hope to make up for it by upsdating alot at once. Hope you enoy it! I usually have to listen to music to get in the mood, or watch some amazing movie or read an amazing book or something. Thank you for the advice. (^_^) I hope you like the update!

Aw! I'm sorry to hear you only have one left! I'm glad she's working hard though! Why do they make you march outside in the rain? It sounds unsafe for humans and intruments alike. Lol. Why did they take your rain coat? Don't worry about it. (^_^) If you want to rant go right ahead. Though if you feel uncomfortable about leaving a review rant you can always pm me. (^_^) I hope it gets better! And wensdays get more fun! I don't know where you live, but it's wensday here. Hope this update cheers your wensday up a bit!

**Honeybeemelissa: **Thanks for clearing up the misunderstanding on deviantart. I get it now. (^_^) I hope you're not annoyed by an OC having such a big role recently. *glances around* no complaints yet. Lol, I think so too. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**teonik04: **Thank you! I'm so glad you do! Thank you for taking the time to tell me too! (#^_^#) Now you're just being too nice. I definitately need to work on my writing, but I'm so very glad you're enjoying this story! I hope you enjoy it all the way to the end! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Sorry for the late update!


	38. Choice Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** **Neuro's POV**.

* * *

I had heard of the young female fox before.

In passing, a mention of her strength and beauty.

The topic had bored me, and I hadn't bothered to listen further.

I saw now the rumors of her strength had not been exaggerated. For even being locked in this place by herself for so long, even being in this poisonous world, she still had enough strength to challenge me.

With claws and teeth bared, she ripped her way through stone and mineral as I dodged her attack.

I was having a difficult time counterattacking, her attacks and movements having no sanity or reason behind them.

The fox had finished drawing in her book, and pulling the page out she threw it upon the woman. A cage of vines twisted and turned to capture her, but it was little help since it only held the woman for a moment.

***Tch***

The fox hissed to herself as the woman escaped and turned towards the fox in turn. Dodging and running, the fox dropped her own mask of humanity to gather every last drop of power to escape the woman's attacks.

The woman froze.

"My daughter. My darling Ri. It's you isn't it?"

The fox stopped running as the woman stopped chasing.

"I am your daughter, however, my name is Kira, not Ri."

The woman smiled, arms out as she slowly approached the fox.

I glanced at the fox's face. She seemed unconcerned as always.

The woman slowly encircled the fox in her arms. "My dear Ri. How I have missed you!"

"I believe I said my name is Kira."

The woman pulled back to look the fox in the face.

"I suppose I didn't have time to tell you what I named you-did I? Ri is the name your mother has given you, surely you don't plan on throwing it away."

"Kira is the name that was given me by the person who raised me. I see no reason to change it."

The woman patted the fox on the shoulder. "You've had it tough haven't you? Mother's sorry she couldn't be there for you. But you are such a good child to come save your mother. Nothing like that horrid father of yours."

The malice that had seeped out of the room came back two fold with her last words, but this time the malice wasn't coming from the woman.

The fox pulled back from the woman's touch, her face unchanging but the malice surrounding her were unmistakable. "My father saved my life did he not? Surely he isn't as horrid as you remember."

The woman's smile faded.

"He imprisoned me in here. How can you say such a thing?"

The fox's voice was steely. "I only speak the truth. And the truth is I am a far worse person than my father."

With her unsheathed claw she ripped a page out of the back of the book in her hands, and in one fluid motion pushed both the page and her claws deep into the woman's chest.

The look of surprise on the woman's face mirrored my own.

"When I lay next to my father's dying body, he used the last breath he breathed to ask me one thing, that on the expiration date of the book's pages that make up this page I come back here and redraw it. To keep the world safe from you, and you safe from the world."

The page in her claw twisted and turned with the blood on it, turning into a thorny plant that grew out the back of the woman and twisted around her limbs.

"My father never once thought of killing you, merely keeping you safe. But I'm not so kind. Or weak. The second I arrived outside of the maze I could smell your madness, and I knew I would kill you rather than let you rot in your own madness or let you free to destroy this planet I have come to love."

The woman struggled to breath, coughing up blood as her jaw moved voicelessly.

"You had asked me, didn't you? What the woman would choose. If it was you, with your jealous heart you would chose the door with the tiger. Better your lovers death than him taking another. If it was my father he would chose the other door, for better for his lover to be alive even if she will never be with him again."

The fox pulled her claws out as the plant and the paper that made it turned red with blood. The woman gasped with the movement.

"A-and w-w-what wou-ld y-you cho-ose?"

The fox shook the blood from her claw.

"I would plunge a knife into the heart of my father who would so easily kill the man I love, and rule the empire with my lover at my side."

The woman's face twisted into a smile. "I-I don-n't dou-bt it-t."

Blood poured onto the floor as the woman plunged her hand through the fox's chest. "I hope you don't mind me returning the favor."

The fox gasped, and I leaped forward with claws out.

The woman dodged and in so doing pulled her now disfigured hand out of the fox.

The woman's appearance slowly changed, a monster emerging from the human facade in front of us.

With power and madness filling the room the woman ran sideways we a speed that caught me off guard. A claw barely missed my stomach and instead pierced my arm.

Blood flowed to the ground as I hissed at my stupidity. Whirling to face the woman, I found her entangled with the fox.

The fox's strength in this world never ceased to amaze me, for such a weak creature would easily be crushed if the woman's power wasn't so weakened.

But my own power was also extremely weak, and I was painfully aware of it as my wound was having trouble healing from such a powerful blow.

The fox flew against the wall, her back making a distinct snapping noise on the stone.

I intercepted the woman before she made it to the stunned fox, all sanity having left her eyes.

The plant the fox had forced into her was still growing and twisting around the woman's limbs, but they barely seemed to have an effect as the woman's speed was not diminished.

Her hand ripped through my ribcage as mine ripped through her skull.

The insane rarely worry about their own safety and this time was no exception.

The woman screamed with a blood curling cry and lept backwards, her vision impaired by the blood running down her face.

I bit back a groan as I stood. The wound in my chest was not a shallow one.

The fox was beside me as I stood.

"Tough old bird isn't she?"

I scowled at the fox who was healing much faster than I in this world that wasn't poison to her. The fox probably knew she wouldn't be able to take on the woman alone which is the real reason she dragged me down here.

The fox met my gaze and read my thoughts. "I really did think I could take her. I figured she would have been completely weakened by now. I see now her own malice had kept her strong."

I slid backwards as the woman charged between the two of us, missing us both.

"A very critical error don't you think?"

"Good thing you came along then huh?"

I glared at the fox a second before a chunk of rock hit her in the face, throwing her into a stalagmite which broke on contact.

The woman ran past me towards the fox, intending to kill one of us while she had the chance.

Thankfully I had been building up my power since the beginning of the fight.

**~EVIL AQUA~**

The room shook and space bent slightly at the power released, hitting the woman almost dead on.

With a shudder and a scream the fox fell to the floor, having far too little power left to counter attack.

I gasped as the tool disappeared, sucking an unforgivable amount of power away with it.

The woman lay trembling on the floor, the stone around us disintegrating and collapsing.

The fox walked over to the fallen woman-her mother-with a fixed slowness. The woman gasped as the plant still attached to her grew a flower bud.

"Goodbye my mother. May you find peace in your sleep."

The flower bud opened and the light left the woman's eyes.


	39. Skin Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Neuro's POV.

* * *

The sky was lightening as the waves lapped the shore.

"You look tired."

The fox smiled as she lay on the sand, the waves crashing over us and washing away the mixture of blood-of ours and hers.

"You don't look to bright eyed yourself."

The fox snorted. "I just killed my mother. Am I supposed to be jumping for joy?"

My eyes slid sideways.

"I thought you didn't care about such a monster."

The fox half smiled. "Logic and emotions don't always match up. And emotions are much harder to ignore."

A wave smashed over us and muffled the last of her words.

"You still did what you thought you had to."

"And I wouldn't change what I did. But that doesn't mean I'm completely unaffected. I'm half human you know. Can you imagine how a human would feel about killing the woman who gave birth to them? Who sang to them every night they were in their mothers womb?"

"I'm pretty sure human's wouldn't remember that last part."

The fox pulled herself further up the beach. "I suppose."

Her eyes turned towards the lightening horizon. "I'll be able to draw the door to go back soon after the sun rises."

Her eyes were fixed on the bit of light that snuck over the edge of the ocean.

"After you pay the price?"

Her eyes slid away from their staring. "As one must."

Her claws dug into the sand at her words.

"Not a pleasant price I see. And you're already too weak to stay in your human form."

"I'll heal after a bit."

"I suppose you don't want my male slave to see you in such a scary state."

This time her look was sharp. "How long have you known about that?"

"It's rather difficult to ignore the fact he always smells of you. Or that his heartbeat always jumps when you're in the room."

"I figured I couldn't hide it from long."

"Have you shown him this side of you?"

The fox fell back down on the sand. "I'm working on it. Little by little. I don't want him to run after all."

"I don't suppose he'd get far."

"Yako didn't"

"Don't go bringing that up."

"You never did ask what the girl talk was about."

"Yako said it was private."

The fox's ears poked up. "My my, look at you. Respecting boundaries. You're a changed bird Parrot."

"And you haven't changed at all Fox. I feel bad for my slave."

" And what about Yako for having to put up with you. But since when have you cared?"

"Certainly not about your opinion."

I looked over at the fox to find her writhing on the sand, eyes glowing green and skin cracking.

The book beside her blew open, the stubs of the ripped pages pointing towards the sky.

"Fox?"

He eyes rolled in her head to meet mine. "S-sil-ence w-woul-d b-be n-nic-e."

"You look even more hideous now. Perhaps I should take some pictures to show my slave? He'd definitely be shocked to see you without your makeup."

"Y-you f-fr-reak-ing t-ry it-t an-d I'l-ll k-ki-kill y-a."

Agonizingly slowly a piece of her skin peeled off, blood and muscle instantly visible. The skin floated slowly up, dripping blood on the sand.

Flattening and stretching the skin shaped itself into a perfect rectangle, and with snail speed attached itself in the book where a page was missing.

A slight screech escaped the fox as more of her skin followed suit, taking the places of missing pages.

Each page of skin ripped off one at a time, with the same slow pace. The sheer amount of pages the fox had used became evident as more of her muscle and blood was visible than skin.

The sand of the shore and the salt of the waves lapped her wounds, and her eyes rolled in the back of her head at the pain, the blood mixing with the water.

The sun was completely above the horizon before the book was refilled.

Panting, the fox pushed herself onto her half healed knees.

"A heavy price."

"The stronger the power the greater the price...The book's power far exceeds my own after all."

With something close to jealousy I watched how quickly her wounds healed.

I had had all night but my wounds were still deep. My sudden loss of power and the poison in my wounds slowing the process to a crawl. The poison itself was sucking out more power than I was comfortable with.

It would take me a long time to get that power back, if I could at all in this world.

"And you're going to use the new pages to draw the new door? You use the book so easily-I'm surprised you are so free with how many pages you use."

"I've never been the type to think about consequences."

"I noticed."

Her skin was almost fully healed now.

"What was the stone?"

"Stone?"

"You think I didn't notice the stone ball you pulled out of the flower your plant grew?"

"Nothing gets past you huh? Her heart I suppose? Not quite though. A tear would be a better explanation, though it's not quite right."

"So she's not dead?"

"No, she's dead. The stone has no life in it. It's just a tear. A fragment."

The fox pulled herself to her feet, her skin almost completely healed.

With no sign of hesitation she wrote in the book, pulling out page after page until the door was finished.

"Time to head home."

And we walked through the door of skin.


	40. Salt Water Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Yako's POV.

* * *

It was long past midnight before Kanae-chan fell asleep.

I was sick and tired of questions about Neuro too. So what if he was tall? And had green eyes? Kanae-chan acted like they were the biggest deal in the world.

And Kanae-chan had _a lot _of questions about him staying over at my house. She had squealed when she heard that bit of news I accidentally let slip.

"Oh my gosh! He's totally waiting for you to be ready! I'll help you pick out cute underwear tomorrow!"

She didn't know Neuro.

Though I was glad she didn't know he slept above me. She would never have fallen asleep.

Neuro had been surprisingly absent the entire time. I had expected him to show up when he got bored, but he was actually being good for once.

Looking at the empty ceiling above me I almost felt lonely.

Almost.

The fact I wasn't slightly afraid that something dangerous was being dangled over me every time I shut my eyes helped.

Shutting my eyes I took a deep breath.

I would have to do something for Neuro since he was listening to my instructions so well.

Perhaps I could hunt down a really hard mystery for him or something.

Blackness fuzzed the edges of my mid as I smiled.

Of course the only thing Neuro would want is food.

.

.

.

I take back what I said about Neuro being good.

I had left Kanae-chan's house early since she had work today, and arriving home had found my entire room wet and smelling of salt and dead fish.

Exactly what had Neuro done in my absence?

With a sigh I pulled the sheets and comforter off my bed.

The cleaning was going to take an entire day, and I doubted Neuro was going to help me clean up.

.

.

.

It took about two hours before my room began to smell normal again.

I had even found a sea shell and some seaweed under my bed.

But the water had been washed out of the carpet, and my bed had nice clean sheets.

I plopped down on the bed and stared at the empty ceiling.

Neuro had yet to show his face at all today. I had figured he would have been annoyed and waiting for me at the house.

I shut my eyes and put my arm over my eyes.

I had barely gotten any sleep last night, thanks to Kanae-chan, and I was completely exhausted.

The breeze felt nice in contrast to the burning heat of the air outside.

I paused.

Breeze?

I had shut the window.

And I could smell salt and fish again.

I sat up straight just in time to watch a door materialize on my wall.

Walking over to it I saw water seeping out of the bottom and top cracks of the door, pooling on the floor.

I barely had time to wrap my brain around this when the door flung open, water pouring in and knocking me over.

Fighting to breath I tried to stand, only to be knocked over by the onslaught of what appeared to be waves.

The water stung my eyes, forcing burning water down my nose.

The world went blurry as the water filled my vision, and just as I thought I was going to die by drowning in my own room, the water stopped it's onslaught.

"Yako? Why are you on the floor?"

A familiar face filled my vision, green eyes so close to mine I could see every detail of them.

I opened my mouth to speak but found that instead of words only water came out.

In an instant a hand was lifting my head, fingers digging in far too deep.

"Yako?" The voice was more concerned this time, and I glared at the owner through tears of pain.

"J-jerk! My room!"

Water filled my throat again, and I pulled away to empty my stomach on the floor.

Great. Now I'd have to clean that up too.

An arm was suddenly wrapped around my waist, and I was pulled up to a sitting position.

"I'm shocked you'd let anything escape your stomach my piggy."

Fingers explored my stomach, and with my glare Neuro seemed satisfied that I was alright.

I tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but my efforts were in vain as he just pulled me closer.

"Be more careful with what you put in your stomach my piggy. It's not healthy for humans to drink that much."

"Whose fault do you think this is anyway? Why the heck have you destroyed my room?"

"If you don't mind, could you wait to flirt after I leave?"

I jumped at Kira's voice, not having noticed she was in the room.

"We weren't flirting!"

"Coulda fooled me."

Stepping over the puddles left on my floor, and a half dead fish, Kira walked towards the door.

"I'll leave you to it then."

Neuro's arm shot out, and he stood as he grabbed her wrist.

"Hold on a second there. Didn't you promise me something?"

Kira's eyes turned to meet Neuro's.

"I did. But you're in no condition to be hunting yakuza leaders. Get some rest before you head out."

Neuro's grip tightened.

"The information."

Kira considered Neuro before opening her book. Drawing a small door on one of the pages, she opened it and pulled out a flash drive.

"All the information is here."

With out batting an eyelash she rammed Neuro in the stomach with her elbow.

Neuro's eyes widened and to my shock he doubled over. Blood seeped through his suit, and my mind went white.

Neuro was hurt.

Badly.

A slight memory arose from the time Neuro almost died.

There had been so much blood.

I pulled the suit jacket and vest off Neuro, revealing a wound seeping blood and black puss in his stomach, and a smaller wound in his arm.

I brushed my hand over the greater of the two wounds and Neuro slightly flinched at the action.

I pointed to the miraculously still dry bed.

"**Lay down."**

"We need to find Masa Kin first-"

"**NOW.**"

Neuro paused before walking over to the bed and laying on it.

Kira was gone when I turned, no doubt not wanting to answer any questions.

I got some gauze out of the bathroom and began wrapping up Neuro's wounds.

"I'll heal without that."

"You'll also bleed all over my bed, so lay still and be silent."

Neuro's hand quickly found it's way to my head, squeezing it painfully hard.

"Don't boss me around louse."

"Then don't go getting hurt. Until your wound heals I'll boss you around as much as I like."

Our eyes met in a slight stare down.

"We need to act now."

"A live sparrow is better then a dead eagle. So don't go dying."

"That's not how the expression goes."

"I changed it to suit you better."

Neuro snorted.

"You're picking up bad habits from the fox."

My hand found it's way to Neuro's forehead.

"You're burning up, but I can't tell if that's your normal temperature or not. Either way you need to get some rest."

I pulled away, reaching for the covers. Neuro's hand pulled me back.

"Just stay here my little sloth. You seem pretty tired yourself."

I tensed as Neuro pulled me onto the bed. I was a bit self conscience after talking to Kanae-chan all night.

But Neuro merely shut his eyes and put his head down, and the softness of the pillow was calling me.

As soon as I put my head down I could feel the fuzziness of sleep surround me.

Just a quick nap would be nice.

Just shut my eyes for a minute.

And the world went dark.


	41. Blue Sea Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** **Yako's POV**. Notes to reviewers at end.

* * *

"ko...Yako?"

I opened my eyes to see a world of blue.

My face was buried in my pillow, and I snuggled deeper into it as I took a deep breath. ""I'm too tired! Let me sleep!"

My pillow snorted.

My eyes flung open and I pulled away from the blue cloth infront of me, only to see it wasn't my pillow but Neuro's suit jacket.

With Neuro still in it.

He hadn't been wearing that when I'd fallen asleep.

I groaned as I sat up, holding my painfully tired head in my hands.

"Ugh. You smell like sea water."

"Yako?"

My sleepiness fled.

That wasn't Neuro's voice. It was a woman's.

I turned too quickly, and would have fallen off my bed if Neuro hadn't grabbed the back of my shirt.

In the doorway stood my mother.

My mind froze, not even regestering my shirt's collar choking me anymore.

A look of pure shock was on her face, and my face probably looked the same.

Why hadn't Neuro left earlier?! He always ducked out the window when he heard my mom coming.

"M-mom."

For one of the very few times in my life, I was speechless.

I had faced murders, terrorists, and Neuro, but in the face of my mother's shocked look I couldn't think of a single word to say.

"Kasturagi-san~!" Neuro's voice was full of fake cheerfulness, and I realized I hadn't heard his fake voice in a while. He didn't bother to use it in front of me, Godai, Kira, or Ishigaki-san, and he tried to avoid speaking to pretty much everyone else.

"You must be shocked~! I am so sorry you had to see such a sight, but Yako-san fell asleep after working all night on a very difficult case and I had to carry her here. No matter how hard I tried I couldn't peel the little octopus off me, and so I gave up and just went to sleep myself~. I promise I did nothing bad to your daughter! I truly hope you can forgive me for seeing her sleeping face~!"

My brain snapped to life again, and I pried Neuro's fingers off my shirt collar.

"O-oh. Well, youngsters do move very fast these days...I suppose it wasn't something I should be shocked seeing..." My mother still looked in a daze, but she slowly turned to head back out the door.

"I'll be making lunch for us downstairs." And she walked off like a zombie.

Whirling on Neuro, I smacked his chest with my fist as I hissed. "Why the heck didn't you duck out when you heard her coming?!"

"I only heard her when she was turning the door knob. Just be glad I put my clothes back on in that time."

Neuro stretched as he spoke, and as hid hand's touched the ceiling he pulled himself up to it.

My anger paused, and I thought about what he just said.

"What do you mean you only heard her when she touched the doorknob? A while ago you heard Kanae-chan and our old neighbor before they even made it to the front door!"

Neuro's gaze slid away. "I was healing. It's a much deeper sleep than normal."

My gaze automatically shifted to his stomach.

Reaching up I pulled on the jacket's buttons, forcing them open.

"My my Yako~. Not with your mother in the house~."

I rolled my eyes at him as the jacket finally opened.

Neuro's white vest had a spot of black with red edges on it.

And it was slowly growing.

I tried to mask a gasp.

"Are you ok?! It looks terrible!"

Neuro's hand slammed into my head. "You don't look so good yourself my little piggy, but you don't hear me complaining."

"Neuro, don't try to distract me." Pulling open the vest, I saw the wound looked almost the same as before.

"I thought you said you were healing as you slept?!"

"I was. It's just a deep wound made by a very powerful person. It'll take a while to heal."

"Where did you say you got this wound?"

Neuro's eyes turned away again. "A troublesome fox."

"Kira did this to you?!"

"No. A relative of hers."

Neuro pulled out of my grasp, buttoning his vest again. The black spot disappeared as Neuro put...grew? a new vest over the old.

"The wounds still there isn't it."

"Yes."

Dropping from the ceiling, Neuro landed on the floor.

"I believe your mother is waiting. We wouldn't want her to get the wrong idea about what's taking us so long-would we?"

Turning on his heel he walked out the door.

.

.

.

The table was very quiet.

Neuro was never a big talker, so I hadn't expected much help from him, but my mom was a different story.

I cringed as I bit into what appeared to be a deep-fried MP3 player.

At least Neuro was acting like he was eating my mom's killer food. Even if her was just moving it to my plate when she wasn't looking.

I had tried to start a couple of conversations, but my mother's lack of reply had quickly killed them.

I was at my wit's end when the doorbell rang.

"I'LL GET IT!"

My quick response may have been a bit obvious, but anything to get away from the silent but deadly meal.

"Yako-chan!" Kanae-chan stood at the door, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed despite how sleep deprived she might have been. "I came to get you for shopping!"

Huh?

Oh...Crap. She had said she would go "battle armor" shopping with me today.

And then she'd had to explain what "battle armor" was.

"My mom's home, and we're eating the lunch she made."

Kanae-chan's face showed how well she knew my mother's cooking.

"Well, she can come alon-" "NO."

I must have looked scary as I said this, for Kanae-chan pulled back a bit.

"Okay, okay. Are you alright? You look tense."

"Please just come inside. It'll make me feel alot better."

Kanae-chan nodded as she walked in.

I jogged lightly over to the kitchen.

"-should be."

I caught my mother's last two words to Neuro as I walked in.

I didn't really want to know what they had talked about.

"Kanae-chan's here!"

Kanae-chan ran over to my mom.

"Haruka-chan! It's so good to see you! How long are you going to be staying this time?!"

My mom glanced at me and then took a long look at Neuro.

I found myself cringing for the fifth time since she'd arrived.

"Not too long. I just wanted to check up on Yako. She seems to be doing well."

Eh? She looked my calmer than I had expected. She even looked cheered up.

"It's so good to see you too Kanae-chan! I can never get any good story from Yako about what's going on in her life. May be you can fill me in!"

"You know it! Have you met Nogami-san's sister yet?"

My mom looked at me with surprise. "Eh?! I didn't know he had a sister!"

"I just met her recently too! Her name is Kira, and she is so sweet!"

Neuro snorted at the word sweet.

"Uwah~. Of course the brother wouldn't think so."

"Yako, you should have told me earlier! I would have invited her over for lunch!"

I had inadvertently saved Kira's life.

"Ah well, I'll just have to invite her over for dinner then."

I take that back, she wasn't spared.

Neuro grinned. "I have her number if you'd like to give her a call to invite her."

"T-that's not necessary mom! Really, it's not!"

"Nonsense! I'll call her right now! Thank you Neuro-san!"

I sighed as my mom picked up the phone.

I had tried Kira, I had tried.

"Hi, this is Haruka Katsagi, I'm Yako's mother...Uh, very nice to meet you as well...Oh no, the pleasure is all mine really...well, I wanted to ask if you'd like to come over for dinner...That's great!...Oh, don't worry about it, just bring him along!...I'll see you then! Bye!"

My mom was beaming as she hung up.

"What a nice young lady! She was even going to cancel her date with her boyfriend to meet me, but she's bringing him along instead!"

Eh?

Eh?!

Godai?!

I just hoped Kira knew what she was doing. My mom had never him before after all, though she had probably heard me talk about him.

Kanae-chan grabbed my arm.

"Now that that's been settled! How about some shopping?!"

She dodged my glare, which was a reflection of Neuro's.

I see he remembered the last time we'd gone shopping with Kanae-chan and my mom.

"Surely Yako and I should go to the office-" "I barely get to spend time with my daughter, and I haven't spent any time with you as her boyfriend yet! It would be a waste fo you two to work!"

And thus the last ray of light was snuffed out.

* * *

**Nadia42: **Welcome Welcome Welcome WELCOME. Lol. I'm so glad you like it! Huh, people keep saying that but I never took it in school...well, I never remembered anything that bored me anyway, so maybe it was in english class. And here is the answer I would give. Though it's kind of cheating. Ah well. I'm so glad you're enjoying it! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**lunabloodmoon666: **Another chapter dump! Hope you enjoy! Glad you liked it! Apparently it's really famous...though I didn't know that. (^_^) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Encuentrame: **I understand. (^_^) The fight scenes were hard for me. I wasn't sure how to describe them and they were tiring to write. So I'm glad you liked um (^_^) Yako's showing her bossy side. Though if she did it too often I don't think Neuro would like it. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! p.s. I've been wondering for a while, what doe syour name mean? Does it have any special meaning?

**Tookany: **THank you so much for reading! While I'm thinking of names, does your name have a meaning too? A different language or anything? Well, perhaps it's nosy to ask. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**teonik04: **Thank you so much! Those were 2 of the hardest parts to write. I'm more of a feeling writer, not a surroundings writer. Well, I need to work on it anyway. I'm happy you're enjoying the fluff too! Hope you like the chapters to come! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**PinkutoMomo: **Aw! I find pure joy in every review! So thank you for adding joy to my day as well! By the way, did you change your name kurono-aijin or do you just have the same icon as them? Either way, thank you for reading and reviewing!

**************Teru Kisuke: **Ah, tis fine tis fine. I realized who you were halfway through writing the response. (^_^)

Another update pack! Enjoy!

Hmm, I suppose you're right-cat and dog would fit nicely. Because if it was fox and parrot (similar to cat and bird I assume) the roles would be reversed.

Kira actually does care. Though she shows it in a weird way. You get to see Yako's reaction now. (^_^) But not the answer to the second question. That one takes awhile. Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Yep! Watson is going to beat the snot out of ********! [censored for spoilers]

Ahahahaha! A good catchphrase! Let me end with mine. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**mouse: **Feel free. (^_^) It was the choice I'd make. O.O Well, I'd probably not want to kill anyone and sneak him out the night before instead. It's true it's good for humans, perhaps not so good for Kira. Well, it was her choice. More fluff! O.O Wow. Really close. I'm going to have to switch up my game man! I'm getting predictable! Hope you enjoyed it anyway! I hope this helped lighten another day! The reviews certainly lightened mine. (^_^) Thank you for reading and reviewing!


	42. Text Kanae

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Kanae's POV.

* * *

I could barely hide my smile.

Nogami-san and Yako-chan walking side by side shopping.

Finally, all my hard work was paying off!

I edged closer to Haruka-chan. "So, what do you think of Nogami-san?"

She edged closer to me in turn. "I was a bit shocked to see how close they've become so quickly. I found them sleeping while hugging in Yako's bed. According to Neuro-san they didn't do anything beyond sleeping, but I was still surprised."

I almost sqeualed.

Way to go Yako-chan! Ganbatte!

"I was worried because Yako has never had a boyfriend before, and she's not very knowledgable when it comes with men. But Neuro-san assured me he's seriously dating my daughter. He even said he would marry her if he could get her to agree!"

I jumped up and down slightly, trying to hide my excitement from Yako-chan.

She had him completely smitten!

I watched as Nogami-san whispered something to Yako-chan with a smile, and she turned bright red.

How cute~!

Yako whirled to face both me and Hakura-chan.

She hissed through her teeth. "Stop it! He can hear you!"

I rolled my eyes.

I highly doubted it.

We were walking a good twenty feet behind, and whispering so softly we could barely hear each other.

"Seriously! He can! So don't talk about us behind our backs like that! It's beyond embarrassing!"

"Of course it's obvious we're talking about you two, you're both so happy together! But don't worry, we're being quiet. I doubt he really heard much-right Neuro-san?"

Haruka-chan smiled lightly at Nogami-san who smiled back.

"How could I possibly hear you well from so far away?"

Haruka-chan turned to Yako-chan. "See? But if it upsets you so much we won't whisper."

Yako-chan nodded before walking back to Nogami-san's side.

Haruka-chan turned and half mouthed half whispered to me. "We'll text instead."

I could have sworn I saw a smile on Nogami-san's face at the words, but if that were the case he'd have to have some montrously good hearing. I must have been imagining it.

.

.

.

I finally had to put my phone on silent because Haruka-chan and I were exchanging too many e-mails, and the constant vibrating of my pocket was making Yako-chan suspicious.

But she was quickly placated by an ice cream cone I bought her.

Seven scoops was the most the poor server could manage before he began to mention his worry that the cone would tip over.

I bought a cone for myself as well, but both Hakura-chan and Nogami-san refused my offer of them one.

After paying-I had to drop off Yako's cone to her first-I turned to head back to the group, but managed to clip someone's shoulder with the icecream instead.

"Ah! Sor-!" The man turned, his face scarily filled with anger.

"Watch whe-" s soon as his eyes met mine his face turned white, and I realized I recognized him.

"A-ah! K-Kanae-san! S-sorry! I didn't realize a good friend of my oya-I mean boss would be here!"

He turned to bow deeply, and the two somewhat scary looking men he was with followed suit, though they looked confused.

"I am deeply sorry I messed up your ice cream. Please let me buy you another!"

Nodding at the server he pulled a wallet attached toa chain out of his pocket.

"Ah-! No! Don't worry about it! It was my fault anyway!"

But he was already handing over the money.

"I fear I cannot make up for the dishonor I have shown you."

I was now completely embarrassed and blushing. I mean, this guy was treating me like the queen!

"Makio-san! Please don't worry about it! At least let me was your shirt for you!"

His eyes grew wide. "How could I ask such a thing of you?! I merely ask you forgive my rudeness as well as much quick departure. I fear I'm running late for a fi-an appointment."

I nodded as he quickly bowed again and jogged off, his two friends in tow.

How rare to meet such a chivalrous man now-a-days!

Yako-chan can over as soon as he left.

"What were you talking to Banadana about?"

"Bandana? Do you mean Makio-san?" Was she refering to the black bandana he was wearing?

"His name is Makio?"

"Yep, Sakaki Makio. He's the guy whose number Kira gave me."

Yako-chan just nodded.

"Your new boyfriend?!" Hakura-chan was much more interested.

"Nah, I just texted him a few times to be polite to Kira. This is my first time meeting him in person."

I had been kinda nervous seeing the style of clothes he wore, but it looked like he was a watermelon-tough on the outside but sweet inside.

His friends had been kinda scary too, but maybe they were the same?

Well, I wasn't going to be distracted today.

Today was the day I would get Nogami-san and Yako-chan to kiss.

I was completely prepared for it. Heck, I was going to hold Yako-chan's head underwater to get Nogami-san to preform CPR if I had too.

I just had to get Hakura-chan on my side.

I whipped out my phone.

_I'm a little bit worried about Yako-chan and Nogami-san's relationship._

_Worried?_

_Yeah. Yako-chan says the farthest they've ever gone is hugging, and that Nogami-san said he's never wanted to kiss her. Isn't that like, the death flag for relationships?_

_He's never felt like kissing my Yako?! Why not?! Is he really in love with her?!_

_I don't doubt he is, but he seems to have a germ phobia or something. We need to get him to want to kiss Yako-chan so bad he'll look past it. _

_I never noticed he disliked germs before. Though I suppose it wouldn't be something he'd be proud of. What did you have in mind?  
_

_Hmm. I guess the first step in getting a guy to kiss you is being alone with him, but if we do that we won't be able to help any further. Let's skip to the next step-getting him to be closer to Yako-chan. Let's do everything we can to get her to trip on him, lean on him, walk closer to him-whatever we can._

_You don't think she'll notice?  
_

_Please. She's so clumsy already, how could she possibly?_

I looked at Haruka-chan with a nod.

It was time for war.

.

.

.

Yako-chan was far sturdier than I remembered.

I'm shocked she manages to trip at all, seeing how quick she is to react.

We tried at least seven times, but each time Yako-chan would either easily avoid our trick or quickly catch her balance.

The last time she even somersaulted back on her feet.

This wasn't working.

_Ok, let's just move onto phaze two. I mean three. Or whatever. _

_Phase three?  
_

_Getting Yako-chan to draw attention to her lips. _

_And how do we do that?  
_

_I don't know. Give her some lip balm, buy her a candy apple. Anything that makes her lips stand out. _

This phase went a lot better.

Yako-chan easily accepted the lip balm, and Nogami-san did watch her apply it, but he looked more curious about the lip balm than Yako-chan's lips.

But it was amazing progress that he was paying attention at all.

Next we tried the candy apple, but this got absolutely no response. I suppose Yako-chan was always stuffing things in her mouth, so it presented nothing new.

Not to mention the way she inhaled it was far from pretty.

She refused the lip balm a second time though, saying it'll just come off anyway when she was eating.

So basically in three minutes.

I was beinging to see why Nogami-san wouldn't want to kiss her though.

She gorged herself on so much food, and she was not pleasent to watch eat.

_Now what?_

I didn't know the answer.

All the other steps need to be done by the person herself, it wasnt something we could initiate.

I slid alongside Nogami-san as soon as Yako-chan was distracted out of ear shot by Hakura-chan.

"Yako-chan sure eats a lot more than I remember."

Nogami-san glanced at me.

"My little piggy's stomach never seems to stop growling."

An...odd term of endearment. But I could easily see how she got it.

"Maybe I should talk to her about eating so much. It can't be good for her health."

Nogami-san blinked at me.

"Why shouldn't she eat when she can get food? It far beats starving all the time."

Yako-chan walked back before I could respond, and I could almost feel tears in my eyes.

Nogami-san was so perfect for Yako-chan!

And it was up to me to make sure he stayed with her.

Perhaps Kira would have some better ideas on how to get them to kiss.


	43. Price Kanae

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Kanae's POV.

* * *

Yako-chan, Nogami-san and I were all in the living room as Hakura-chan cooked.

It's safer that way.

I've always tried to steer clear of the kitchen as Hakura-chan was cooking.

It's scary to see what goes in the "food" she makes.

I brought along a sandwich and chips to eat before dinner.

This pre-dinner is extremely important. The last thing I want Hakura-chan to hear while I'm telling her I'm not really hungry is my stomach growling.

An explosion came from the kitchen as the door bell rang.

"Yako, can you get it? I'm a bit busy!"

Yako-chan nodded and went to answer the door.

Kira waltzed in a moment later, followed closely by Godai-san.

I was surprised to see he had taken out all his lip piercings, and was wearing a red shirt with black jeans.

Some how or another, Kira had managed to make him look...normal.

Well, pretty close anyway.

"You guys remember Kanae-chan of course."

Yako-chan nodded at me, and Kira bounced over to give me a hug.

"It's so good to see you!"

Yako-chan glanced between Kira, Godai-san and Nogami-san.

"Um, does Neuro know-"

"That we're dating? Yep!"

Godai-san looked nervous, and kept glancing at Nogami-san.

Well, it was his fiance's brother, so I could understand why.

Wait...had Kira said "dating" before? Not engaged?

So Nogami-san didn't know about that?

It would probably be best to steer clear of such and awkward subject.

I motioned Kira over to whisper.

"I have something private I need to ask you about."

Kira glanced at Nogami-san.

"Yako! Kanae's going to show me where the bathroom is~! Take care of Shinobu for me!"

Yako-chan barely had time to nod before Kira dragged me away.

I followed her to Yako-chan's room, and she shut the door behind me.

"Kind of excessive isn't it? We could have just stepped into the hall."

Kira torn a page out of a book she had pulled out from under her sweater, though how it fit there in the first place I wasn't sure. On it was written "voiceless".

"You said it was private, so I'm making sure it stays private."

She pressed the page onto Yako's door, and it stuck on, which was odd because I didn't think it was sticky.

Well, at least she took me seriously, though it was a bit scary just how seriously.

"What's the paper for? Soundproofing?"

Did she believe in charms or something?

"Not sound proof, voice proof. Well, it's just a habit anyway~."

I nodded. If it made her feel better.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Well, remember how Yako-chan said Nogami-san told her he had never felt like kissing her? I was really worried when I heard that. I mean, what guy doesn't want to touch the woman he loves? But since Nogami-san has a germ phobia, I figured it was different for him."

Kira cocked her head as I was speaking.

"But I wanted to help him get over his germ phobia and get him to kiss Yako-chan. I figure once he sees it's not so scary he'll be fine."

Kira turned her head the other way.

"So basically you want to force The Parrot to kiss Yako?"

"Not _force _per say. Just...help along. I figured as Nogami-san's sister you'd know what best to do."

Kira looked at me thoughtfully.

"Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you really think it would help their relationship?"

I was puzzled.

"You don't?"

"Not letting a step in a relationship happen naturally usually isn't a good thing. I honestly believe I could get a kiss, but if they're not ready for it it could harm their relationship."

I sighed. She was just as relationship challenged as Yako-chan.

"Of _course_ it'll help! They're both in love after all."

Kira's eyes seemed intense as she looked at me.

"I suppose I can give it a try. But nothing in this world is free after all. **Are you willing to pay the price?**"

Huh?

The world seemed to warp for a minute, but it was quickly back to normal.

"I told myself I'd do anything in my power to help Yako-chan keep Nogami-san. So yes, I'm willing to pay any price."

Kira smiled brightly, but the tone of her next words didn't seem to match.

"**Remember those words.**" **  
**

And she pulled the paper off the door.

.

.

.

I was nervous as I sat next to Kira at the dinner table.

I wasn't really sure what she had planned.

The only thing I'd seen her do was stick a small piece of paper under Yako-chan's cup.

A note maybe?

Disguised to look like it came from Nogami-san?

But Yako-chan seemed oblivious to it, and Kira didn't so much as look twice at the cup.

Godai-san and Kira were well liked by Hakura-chan though, and she kept adding to their plates.

Godai-san had long since turned green, but Kira ate her food with gusto, and chewed every bite.

Which must not had included metal like mine, though it did make an extremely loud crunching noise.

She even cleared Godai-san's plate for him.

How nice for him. At least he didn't have to suffer.

I was considering sneaking my food onto Kira's plate too when Yako-chan collapsed.

"Yako-chan?!"

Her face was red and she clutched her stomach in pain.

Well, that part wasn't as surprising considering what she'd just eaten. Though I had always thought her stomach was stronger than that.

Hakura-chan was about to call 911 when Godai-san picked up his phone.

"My hospital will be faster! Get her in the car!"

Nogami-san already had Yako-chan in his arms, and he quickly stood up and carried her out the door.

"Every one get the heck in the car! Stragglers will be bloody left!"

And within thirty seconds the car was peeling out of the drive way.

.

.

.

My foot tapped on the tile floor as I sat in the waiting room.

Hakura-chan was sitting next to me with tears in her eyes and Godai-san paced the floor.

"What the heck is taking so long?!"

He slammed his fist into the wall, and three nurses and the director around him tried to calm him.

Nogami-san stood leaning against the wall, looking like he was concentrating hard on something.

Kira's eyes were glued to the floor, her seat the closest to where Godai-san paced.

A cry rang from the hall way, and a small child ran into the room.

"But I don't wanna!"

Two nurses came quickly after him, one carrying a needle.

"You have to though-don't you want to get better?"

The child shook his head fiercely, backing away from the nurses.

I waved at the child, and he scurried over to my seat.

"Don't worry, I know how to get rid of that pain right away!"

The child sniffed.

"You do?"

I nodded, motioning to the nurses.

"I'll show you, but first you have to be good, ok?"

The child nodded softly with snot running down his nose.

The nurse gave him his shot, and as soon as she pulled the needle out I rubbed the spot and gave it a smacking kiss.

"See! The pain just flew away!"

The kids smiled at me brightly. "Thank you big sis! You're really nice!"

A nice smiled at me. "And a life saver. Thank you so much for your help."

I waved at the little boy as he walked away.

It was nice to be distracted.

.

.

.

It was twenty more minutes before the doctor came out.

He looked nervous, stealing glances at Godai-san.

"How is my daughter?!" Hakura-chan was quickly on her feet, rushing over to the doctor so as not to miss a word. The rest of us gathered behind her.

"W-well, I wasn't sure what was wrong with her in the beginning, but it seems to have been Gastritis. We're giving her sedatives now, but she's still in a great deal of pain. She had a great deal of alcohol in her system, and that seems to be the root cause."

"Alcohol? But I didn't see her drink any."

"She must have had it when you weren't looking then. If you like you may go see her, but try to keep it short since she's weak and in pain."

The group nodded in unison and we followed the doctor back into the room.

"Hey guys. Sorry for being such a party pooper."

Yako-chan's voice was weak, and I quickly grabbed her hand.

"Are you alright?!"

"Yeah-it hurts a lot though."

She smiled at us weakly, rubbing her stomach as she did so.

Nogami-san patted the top of her head.

"It's rare for your stomach to hurt."

She snorted.

"It's the one thing I never thought would get sick."

Nogami-san leaned down, hand still on her head.

"I'm surprised myself."

And he kissed her stomach.

The world froze for me.

I barely registered Yako-chan's voice and the general surprise of those around me.

A kiss.

He had kissed her.

Not on the lips like I had wanted, but I had never said anything about it being on the lips.

Just a kiss.

That Kira said she would get.

That she had warned me would not be pleasant.

That she had asked me what price I would pay.

Nogami-san was saying something about taking the pain away.

The child?

Did he get the idea from the child?

But then surely Kira couldn't have had anything to do with this...could she?

I turned to stare at her, only to find her already looking at me.

She smiled.

_The kiss you wanted. _

__She didn't have to say the words for me to hear them.

But...it must have been an accident.

Incidental.

Surely.

It would be impossible for her to plan this.

Definitely.

An accident.

I looked back at Yako-chan and Nogami-san, head in a daze.

Was the kiss worth the price of Yako-chan being ill?

I didn't think so.


	44. Antiseptic Smell Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** **Yako's POV**. Notes to reviewers at end.

* * *

The hospital room glowed white, and distinctly smelled of antiseptic.

My mom slept on the chair to the right of me, and Neuro sat on the ceiling above me.

I was fidgeting glancing back from him to my mom.

"I really don't think it's a good idea to be up there. My mom could wake up at any time, and a doctor or nurse could just walk in!" I kept my voice barely audible.

Neuro's eyes snapped open. "I'm merely resting, not sleeping. I'll have plenty of time to get back on the floor before either happens."

It didn't make me feel any better.

"It's odd how you got sick tho. The doctor said it was because you drank too much alcohol. Did you drink any?"

I looked up at him puzzled.

"I don't think so, though I do remember thinking my tea tasted weird. Maybe it was spiked?"

"Only yours?"

I shrugged.

"Well, it's probably just stress. You know I'm always super stressed out."

"Why would you be?"

I glared up at him. The reason was obvious.

"Anyway, you never did tell me the whole story with Kira's relative."

Neuro shut his eyes again.

"It's a boring story."

"A boring story got you such a big wound? Now I really have to hear it."

Neuro sighed.

"Kira's father trapped her homicidally insane mother in a maze that was about to collapse and release the crazy fox to destroy all humans. So Kira went to the maze to stop her mother."

That sounded extremely interesting.

"So you got the injury stopping her?"

"Yes."

I glanced at my still sleeping mother.

"Then you fixed the maze and kept her there?"

Neuro's eyes opened to look back at me.

"No."

"Eh? Where did you put her then?"

"She died."

My eyes opened wide. "What?! Is Kira ok?! She must be shocked!"

"Kira's the one who killed her. She was planning on killing her all along."

My thoughts scattered as I thought about this.

Kira?

She always seemed so innocent.

How much strength had she had to muster to carry this plan through?

I looked away from Neuro.

"It was probably for the best. The mother was slowly dying a very painful death in this world anyway."

I looked back at him.

"Are you slowly dying in this world too?"

Neuro's eyes widened.

"I suppose. Not as painfully perhaps."

I nodded, not sure what to say to his response.

I had promised myself to ask Neuro more about himself, so I was glad I asked at least.

I had promised Kanae-chan I would ask him something too.

Though I didn't really want to.

"Um, I was wondering...is there any particular reason why you haven't ever wanted to kiss me?"

Neuro's eyes met mine again.

"A question rather unlike you."

"I was just kinda curious."

Neuro glanced down at my sleeping mother. Right, maybe this wasn't the best time to have this conversation.

Neuro spoke anyway.

"I kissed you just now didn't I? And it took your pain away."

I half smiled half snorted.

"Please. That wasn't a romantic kiss. It was like kissing a small child or something."

Neuro paused, perhaps unsure of what so say.

"'Kissing' is really part of human culture."

"So you never considered it because it wasn't part of your culture?"

"I suppose."

"Kira seems fine with it."

"The fox was raised in the human world-remember."

I nodded. I suppose that made sense.

Not that I could give that explanation to Kanae-chan.

"Did you want me to kiss you?"

Neuro's face was suddenly very close to mine, and I pulled back as far as my pillow would let me.

"Ah-! N-no! Kissing is a very intimate action for humans...and I wouldn't want to do it with someone unwilling."

"I didn't say I was unwilling, just never considered it."

Crap, this isn't where I expected the conversation to lead.

"Seriously not now Neuro. I've never kissed anyone before, and I'd rather wait a bit."

Neuro pulled back. "Let me know when you want to then."

My face was definitely beet red by now, and I couldn't look him directly in the eye.

"A-all right."

I quickly glanced over at my mom, but she still slept soundly.

Thank goodness.

.

.

.

"Yako-san!"

My eyes snapped open to see Ishigaki-san and Todoroki-san leaning over me.

"I'm so glad you're ok~!" Ishigaki-san shoved a basket of danishes in my face, and I found myself thankful for having such thoughtful friends.

I was starving.

"Neuro~chan! You must be really tired~!" Ishigaki-san waved like a little kid at Neuro who was leaning against the opposite wall.

Todoroki-san completely ignored them both.

"I'm shocked you of all people had stomach issues."

"Me too." I glanced around for my mother, catching her eyes as I did. "Thankfully I have such good support." I smiled.

Todoroki-san smiled back. "I can see that." She glanced sideways at Neuro.

"Ah~! Now might be a bad time, but I have an announcement to make~!" Ishigaki-san spoke slightly louder than normal to grab our attention.

"Announcement?" Todoroki-san looked just as puzzled as we were.

"I'm quitting as police chief~!"

The room went silent.

"What?! WHY?!" Todoroki-san grabbed his arm, her fingers digging in.

"Because we're dating of course~! It's against regulation, and I don't want to be forced to move away from here for another position ~. So I'm going to quit and get a job at a cafe' or something~."

Todoroki-san shook his arm. "What the heck?! Why didn't you discuss this with me?! Isn't it usually the girl who quits?! I can easily get a job elsewhe-"

"But you really like being a police officer. And I knew if I told you ahead of time you would be the one to quit. So I already turned in my resignation and a job application for a butler cafe'~! I figured we couldn't keep hiding our relationship if I want to marry you."

Every one's eyes in the room got wider, save for Neuro.

"Eh?! Are you proposing now?!" Todoroki-san barely managed to cough up the words.

"No, but I'm planning for the future~." Ishigaki-san's smile was bright, and Todoroki-san's face was very red.

"B-Baka! Don't go announcing something like that!"

I smiled at how sweet they were.

* * *

**Teru Kisuke: **A double update this time. (^_^) Sorry for the wait, I was only writing crap until recently.

Ahahaha! I'm glad I'm still somewhat unpredictable! Lol, he's better at dealing with people than Yako thinks though. Ah, it's probably the first time you wrote "Neuro" you wrote "Neuro's". My auto correct does that sometimes.

That was a surprise too right? lol. No one expected Yako to get an upset stomach. Lol. Most couples wear matching shirts, but YxN have matching stomach pains. (^_^)

Ahaha! I didn't even really think of that as I wrote that chapter. Yako couldn't run if she wanted to. (^_^) And Kira really needs to be more cautious (-_-;) Though it's about time something got through those rose glasses Kanae wears.

Lol! I'm still not sure if I should continue any further with him and Kanae or not. I just thought it would make a cute plot bunny, but it seems like a funny scenario. Well, I don't want to make another OC too prominent either. Let me know what you think!

Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**teonik04: **I'm so glad you're enjoying it! And I hope I can keep the cuteness coming. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**********mouse:** You're getting too smart. *shifty eyes* I'll have to revise my plan. Lol. Neuro is so susceptible to influence. (^_^) And if you don't know the price you paid you can reread the last sentence. O.O Though it's explained later. Welcome to the next level! ...I hope...kinda...well, I didn't really change anything...ah well. Close enough. (^_^) Two chapters this time. (^_^) And I'm glad to hear it's going so well! And that you didn't get sick from practicing in the rain. (^_^) Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Namei: **Aw! Thank you! Hmm, did I ever say Neuro would probably not indicate which door and just kill whatever came out? I feel like I have...but maybe I just dreamed it. Or maybe you wondered if there was only those two options. I honestly don't know. Neuro isn't my character so I can't just make up something either. Ah well, the world may never know. (^_^) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Tookany: **O.O Uwah! I've heard of that before. Are you Native American? My grandfather was from the Ojibwe tribe. Nah, I was just curious. It sounded familiar. (^_^) Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**lunebloodmoon666: **Aw! I felt the same way when I read your review! Sorry it took awhile, and not as many. But I hope you enjoy it nonetheless! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Encuentrame:** That's not something you want your mom to walk in on. O.O Lol. Unfortunately, I don't have enough information on her mom to know what she'd be like in her head. It would have been interesting though. (^_^) I wasn't sure what to make the price at first. Something suitably hurtful [paying for messing with other peoples lives] but not something permanent and I didn't want to revel Kira's true nature either. So this is what I came up with in the end. I like how Kanae was more a part of the actual circumstances of this kiss too. I hope it wasn't a disappointing price. (^_^)

O.O Cool. It's very pretty. Is it French? Or perhaps Spanish? Anyway, Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Nadia42: **THANK YOU for reviewing! (^_^) It tis rather time consuming, but it's totally worth it to know you're enjoying it so much!

Sounds interesting, though I don't read/watch Pandora Hearts. [I have seen it before though] I hope you can make your dream a reality. Well, a real story anyway. (^_^) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**MilissaRukia: **Yay! I'm glad it was exciting! More than others will know or he will admit. (^_^) Lol. At least Godai's life won't be boring anytime soon. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**PinkutoMomo:** Lol. I can understand. Tastes just change sometimes. (^_^) Ahahaha. I laughed out loud when I read your math comment. Enjoy your battle, and may you come out victorious! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Honeybeemelissa: **I like the way you put that. (^_^) I think Kanae is already feeling the guilt. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!


	45. Errand Run Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** **Neuro's POV**. Notes to reviewers at end.

* * *

I was rather relieved when Yako's mother finally left.

Yako always seemed on pins and needles whenever her mother mentioned our relationship, and Yako has enough stress as it is.

Since Yako's release form the hospital, her friend had also been visiting very frequently, and would flutter around Yako with a worried intensity.

Today was no different, save for the fact Yako's friend was visiting earlier than normal.

"My Nogami-san, no matter how early I seem to visit you always seem to be here already!"

I smiled as well as I could at this unwelcome visitor.

"I've always been an early riser. Yako's just eating breakfast now."

The female nodded as she pushed past me, running the whole way to the kitchen.

"Yako~! How are you feeling today?!"

I glanced back into the house.

I was sure the visit would take a few hours at least, and I had some errands to run.

I suppose Yako was well enough to handle the high energy of her friend all by herself.

.

.

.

My first stop was the most pertinent one.

"How rare for you to be the one to find me Parrot."

The fox sat alone in the giant house Yako and I had first visited when we met her, but this time her butlers and maids were all gone and the mansion looked much less bright than before.

"The staff were all pages out of your book?"

"And you're here in fine form too. For what reason do you grace me with your presence?"

"I found this."

I pulled a small note of paper out of my pocket, on it was written the word "alcohol".

The fox glanced at it.

"I see. And for what reason did you bring it?"

"To ask you why you would make Yako purposely ill."

"You never get anything for free Neuro."

"And what did Yako trade for her health then?"

"Oh, not Yako. Kanae."

My claw was quickly in the wall next to the fox's head.

"**And why did Yako have to pay that female's price?!"**

"What hurts more Neuro? Getting hurt? Or watching Yako get hurt and it's your fault? The girl forced something she shouldn't have, and paid accordingly. That's how it works."

**"You were the one who hurt Yako-not that girl."**

"If that's how you view it. But it was the only way to instantly fulfill Kanae's request. I wasn't the one who started the ball rolling, I was just the one who made sure it wasn't pushed too hard. Whether I should be thanked or cursed is your choice however."

The fox's gaze was steady, and I pulled my claw back with her words.

"It's certainly not thanked."

"As I said, that's your decision to make."

The room was silent as we eyed each other.

"Fine. Seeing how I don't want to have to tell this story to Yako, I'll let it slide for now. I have something else to discuss with you-the misuse of my servant."

"Misuse?"

"I don't remember approving your relationship."

"I didn't think I needed your approval."

"My servant is my property."

"Are you going to make him your mate too? It's not affecting you so it's none of your concern."

"His priorities will be different."

"And what of it?! Is Shinobu not allowed to have happiness?"

"Who said he's happy?"

"If he is will you not interfere?"

"I still have every right to interfere."

"Try it Parrot. I'll rip your heart out."

"You think you could even touch me in a fight fox?"

"There is more than one way to destroy a person's heart. Don't make me show you what they are."

"Is that a threat?"

"Yes."

"Do you really want to fight me fox?"

"Do you really want to fight _me_ parrot?"

The room was silent again, and the tension was thick.

The fox was serious about this matter. I suppose I'll have to deal with it later.

"Before we decide to war, don't you think it's a good idea to work together to take out a common enemy?"

"Enemy?"

"Masa Kin."

"I gave you my lead last time and you still didn't get him."

"Was I supposed to leave Yako? Isn't the fact he got away more your fault than mine?"

"I suppose we'll have to call it even on that one. But that was the only lead I had. I can't just go to the store and pick up another. This guy is getting harder and harder to track. He must have realized we were catching his scent."

"You probably weren't careful enough."

"Oi! At least I found a lead. You haven't even done that yet."

I sighed as I leaned against the wall.

"I'll have to make my slave work extra hard on finding a new one then. I don't suppose you'll distract him from even that?"

The fox glared at me.

"I'll check my channels as well."

I straightened up.

"Be quick then. It's not a good sign that this Masa is still in Japan."

"I could say the same for you Parrot."

.

.

.

My next stop was Slave number one.

I walked briskly through the top floor, making it look as if I had come from the elevator instead of the window.

The secretary quickly buzzed the door open as I didn't even slow passing her.

"WHO THE HECK IS BOTHERING ME AT A TIME LI-"

My slave froze as he saw it was me.

"What the heck do you want?" His voice was much more muted this time.

"I can't just stop by for a visit?"

"As if you ever freaking stop by just to visit."

My fist went through his desk.

**_"I can't just stop by for a visit?"_**

He paled.

"FINE! THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT!"

I smiled.

"Aren't you going to offer me some tea?"

"I've never seen you drink tea in all my life."

**_"You won't?"_**

With a hiss my slave called the secretary in with tea.

"I didn't know you were considering the fox as your mate."

"The fox? Kira?"

He mumbled to himself: "You siblings have the weirdest nicknames for each other."

He quickly sipped his tea before addressing me again.

"I know I should probably have talked to you first seeing as how you're the older brother and all, so sorry about the late announcement. I'm really serious about her though! I'm not just messing around with her or anything like that."

"We'll discuss that later. For now, I want you to try your hardest to find Masa Kin. Focus all your resources on it. I want to squash this annoying pest."

"You don't think I'm already bleeding doing that?! This guy is like a cockroach, hard to kill and almost impossible to bring into the light!"

"Obviously you're not trying hard enough. **Find him.**"

My slave nodded his pale face turning a few shades paler.

***Tsk* **

I would have to do some leg work myself. I couldn't expect this idiot to find him.

Standing, I stepped over the table and out the window.

"THE HECK! YOU DIDN"T EVEN TOUCH YOUR FREAKING TEA!"

.

.

.

With a sigh I slid through Yako's bedroom window.

It had not been a very productive morning.

Yako wasn't in her room, so I stalked down the stairs to the kitchen.

Perhaps messing with her would put me in a better mood.

Upon arriving at the kitchen however, I found it empty.

With a annoyed hiss I pulled out my phone.

The louse couldn't just stay put.

_Ring Ring_

I froze.

The ringing I heard didn't come from my phone but from the table.

On which laid Yako's cellphone.

My eyes searched the room.

Shoes.

Yako's shoes were still by the door.

A hurried search of her closet showed that all three pairs of shoes she owned were accounted for.

And the car was still in the drive.

A further search of her clothes found all-both clean and dirty-intact save for one pair of sleep clothes.

The clothes she was wearing this morning.

The entire search had lasted less than thirty seconds, and as it ended my thoughts felt heavy and fogged over.

Only one sound piercing my ears.

_Ring Ring_


	46. Early Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** **Yako's POV**. Notes to reviewers at end. Sorry for the wait. I've been super busy, not been in a good writing mood, and I've been playing Maplestory recently. So I've been kinda distracted and only writing crap. I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Neuro had let Kanae-chan in again I see.

I loved the girl and all, but not at six thirty in the morning when I hadn't eaten breakfast yet.

"Yako-chan! I'm so glad you're looking better!"

I had been in perfectly fine health for three days now.

She handed me the fifth basket of oranges she'd brought since my leaving the hospital, and it had been exactly five days in total.

"You know I'm feeling fine right?"

"You can never be too careful! Make sure you get plenty of rest!"

I was having a difficult time getting any rest between Kanae-chan visiting and Godai texting me asking if I was ok.

It was extremely sweet.

The first hundred texts.

Now it was borderline irritating.

But I kept reminding myself they were only doing it because they were worried about me.

"Yako-chan, I also wanted to ask you something."

Kanae-chan squirmed slightly in her seat.

"Is it about Neuro?"

It usually was.

"N-no. Kira actually."

This got my attention.

"What about her?"

Kanae-chan squirmed again.

"Is she like, and ESPer or something?"

"Eh? ESPer?"

"Yeah, like can see the future."

I considered what to say to that.

Well, I suppose the truth-or a version of it-would suffice.

"No. But she's a genius of sorts."

Kanae-chan perked up at that.

"A genius? Like a math wiz?"

"Um, kinda. Not just in math though. She's just really smart."

And knew how to use her smarts.

Kanae-chan nodded, thinking to herself.

"I see."

"Any specific reason you asked?"

"Ah! Well, she just said something that seemed like she could see the future. But she probably just guessed."

I nodded slowly.

Kira wasn't exactly subtle was she?

"Ok, now I have a question about Nogami-san."

Of course she did.

"Why is he always here no matter what time it is?"

I quickly stuffed a huge spoonful of cereal in my mouth.

It was probably a bad idea to tell her he was sleeping on my ceiling.

Wait, a bad idea to tell her he slept over at all.

"He just doesn't need a lot of sleep."

"But he was always at your house even before you were dating."

"Ah, well, he doesn't have too many friends either."

Kanae-chan didn't look completely convinced, and her mouth opened to ask another question.

"A-actually, I was wondering if you wanted to go shopping tomorrow. I could use some new clothes."

"Battle Armor shopping!"

"Eh? Wait! I didn't mean that-"

"You can't back out now! I'll make sure Nogami-san won't ever want to go home again~!"

Technically this was his home.

I sighed.

I should be more careful what I blurt out.

Kanae-chan left rather easily afterwards, no doubt looking forward to tomorrow.

I wasn't.

With another sigh I put my bowl in the sink.

"Something the matter?"

My blood froze in my veins as I recognized that voice.

"Nothing you need to be concerned about Masa."

I turned to see the man himself before me, two beefy men in suits on either side of him.

"And to what do I owe the honor?"

"We were abruptly and rather rudely interrupted by your assistant last time. I just came to continue our conversation."

I glanced behind him.

"Neuro?" My voice was soft, but I knew if Neuro was nearby be would hear me.

"You call your assistant so informally? My Miss Detective, you're going to make me jealous."

"I'm calling you by your first name too aren't I?"

"But I get the feeling that's more out of impoliteness than closeness. Am I wrong?"

He wasn't.

"Sadly, that assistant you're hoping for isn't about to come."

I bit my lip.

"He left huh?"

The idiot should tell me next time. At least then I'll lock the door.

Masa's eyes narrowed.

"How interesting. Most people would assume my men incapacitated him, even killed him. But you instantly think your assistant left."

"Please. If he hadn't we wouldn't be having this conversation right now. You'd be laying a pool of your own blood. He's still rather mad about the last time."

"You mean my shooting him? He really should learn to let bygones be bygones."

I don't think it was getting shot that annoyed Neuro.

"You have a lot of faith in your assistant don't you?"

"I certainly do."

Masa smiled and patted my head.

"We'll have to be sure to destroy that faith."

At least I probably won't have to go shopping tomorrow.

I smiled at the thought.

"As calm as ever."

Masa looked annoyed at my lack of interest in his words.

"We've already established you aren't here to kill me, and while I suspect you're about to bind and gag me there's not much else to fear."

Masa's smiled easily.

"If it keeps you from screaming and kicking I see no need to scare you."

"No no, I'll probably do that anyway. I know it won't really help and most likely no one will be around to see it, it's more the principle of the the thing ya know?"

"Then I suggest you start."

And I was promptly gagged.

* * *

******teonik04:**  
Aw! I'm glad you liked it! I had a hard time thinking up a reason why Neuro never wanted to kiss Yako. (-_-;) I knew it was unlikely he did since, well, this is Neuro. If he wanted to he would have by now. I'm so glad it made you happy! Sorry it took a while to update. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

******Nadia42:** I am so glad you found it interesting! Enough twists for ya? (^_^) Yako is alive, as you have read. But as for her being well, you'll just have to see. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Teru Kisuke: **Lol, likewise. Sure. But I have to warn you I'm biased against vampires...too much hype about them recently. But I'd like to have a look anyway (^_^)

I'm glad I'm not predictable yet! And I would love to read one! I actually read other fan fics, but usually review anonymously. And I try really hard not to steal ideas...lol.

Ahahaha. That would be far too easy.

O.O Development. Thankfully for Kira, Kanae still sees the world rose colored. So Kira's safe...for now.

O.O I already have one Omake I'm wondering if I should post. It's completely off story, and it's when I couldn't write anything so it's kinda crap, but I can't keep myself from erasing it. Maybe I'll post it before the epilogue. What kind of one-shot were you thinking? His background? A date with Kanae? O.O And no promises.

Lol. I just re-read the entire thing. It took forever. And I saw a couple inconsistencies from the original story... (-_-;) Ah well. too late now.

You know I don't mind. (^_^)

Ahahaha. Nice illustration. I don't know how that open invite is gonna go though. Yako isn't exactly forward with those kind of things. I guess she'll just have to bite the bullet and do it. Well, it never goes the way I plan though.

I'm glad you didn't think is announcement was weird. (^_^) I was going for a little kid feel when I wrote it. Glad it came across! And Todoroki was willing to give up her police work for him, so that's something. A big something for her.

I really love Godai. I always feel bad for him though. Poor guy always seems to get the short end of the stick. Which may have been why I subconsciously put him with Kira. She's the type that will never let go and kill anyone who messes with her loved ones. Godai's tsundere-ness always make me laugh too. So I'm glad you find Godai's scenes funny too. (^_^)

Thankyou! Cue dramatic ending. O.O And I'm sure if Neuro answered you he'd say something like 'Of course I can worm'. So as you can see he's really thankful for your support. (^_^)

Thanks for reading and reviewing! (Followed by a long response. (^_^) )

**lunebloodmoon666: **Sorry it took a while but I hope you enjoy! THanks! And thank you for reading and reviewing!

**********p. aghea: **O.O Yay! Wow. It's boiling hot where I am. Went to a waterpark this weekend! Almost got banned for letting go of the tube's handles on the ride...totally worth it! I hope it warms up where you are! Aha! But you didn't see it coming did you?! xP Hope you enjoy these next few chapters. Sorry I didn't make the price clearer. I'll try to be less cryptic in the future. One of your guesses was right. O.O Lol. Aw! GET YOUR PHONE BACK! lol. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Encuentrame:  
**I'm glad it wasn't disappointing! And I'm glad you're like IshxTodo! I was worried I was starting to pair everyone up...

I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

*nods* that Masa. And he never knew in the anime or manga, he only knew Neuro did super human feats. But the situation was never explained to him.

Poor Godai is out of the loop.

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

******MilissaRukia:**  
He found out. O.O lol. Kira doesn't try to hide that hard huh? But maybe that's a sign of friendship. Neuro's growing as a person, waiting for Yako. Or maybe it's because he really just doesn't care. (-_-;) Well, either way he's waiting.

Ishigaki is rather sweet, even without trying. Though Todoroki does have to put with a lot with him as a boyfriend. Fiancee? I don't know at this point. Ishigaki can sometimes be too nice to. Proof of which was at the very beginning of the story with the doughnut shop girl.

O.O THat would be extremely interesting. Highly unplausible, but hey, when has that ever stopped me? I'll see what I can do...

Sorry, not Kira. And I don't think Neuro can do much to tear Kira off Godai at this point. And it'd be scary to watch him try. She's safe-for now. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Nomaen: **Lol. I love my cliffhangers huh?

You're quite welcome! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! *blushes* thank you so much! I am extremely busy, but sometime I just go without sleep and I get caught up.

Lol. "It's so fluffy I'm gonna die!" (a quote from the movie 'Despicable Me') I thank you for your love and send mine in turn. (^_^)

Yeah...he is. I feel a bit bad for both Yako and Neuro. Yako because Neuro is getting more and more controlling, and Neuro because Yako just can't stay safe. He's gonna have a heart-attack one of these days. Neuro's gone a while without eating a big meal now, and he's used a lot of tools recently. Not to mention it takes a lot of power just to stay in this world for him. I honestly don't know. And lately him condition has bee getting worse. I guess you'll (more like we'll) just have to see how the story goes.

I completely understand. (^_^) I thank you for taking the time to read and review my friend.

**PinkutoMomo: **Yes, yes it is. O.O I hope you enjoy! Tis fine-Sorry you had to wait so long!I hope this four chapter update brings you some happiness. (^_^) I'm so glad they're so interesting to you! I hope I can keep them that way! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

******Tookany: **Woah! That's a cool job to have. O.O He was an interesting one. He gave himself his own last name and when he got a tan he was so dark black people (I hope that term doesn't offend anyone...) would call him brother.

I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Lol, Neuro didn't completely understand what that meant. Yako did though. (^_^) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Umiki:** You'll have to see. O.O Thank you for reading and reviewing! Welcome to MTNN! It's a wonderful obsession to have!


	47. White Room Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** **Yako's POV**.

* * *

The blindfold was taken off to reveal a room that looked eerily familiar.

"Is this the same room I was in before or did you just use the same interior designer?"

Masa chuckled.

"Almost all containment cells look alike-wouldn't you say?"

With skin crawling care he removed the cords from around my wrists and ankles, switching them for padded handcuffs attached to the wall.

"I know you'll probably just worm your way out of these like last time, but at least it'll give you something to do for a while."

"Or you could just skip to the end bit where I refuse to join you again."

Masa smiled and poked my forehead with his finger.

"I see your brain is working just fine. And I suppose it would be simpler to just skip to the end."

He pulled back and stood up.

"But that would be less pleasant for you, and I'm rather looking forward to a little game I have in mind. So you'll have to forgive me for wanting to keep you safely tied up for the time being."

With a wave he walked back out the door, shutting it behind him.

I sighed as I pulled the handcuffs off my hands.

I had been practicing.

Though I already had a strong foundation of experience for escaping thanks to Neuro.

A thorough search of the room proved completely fruitless, but I hadn't expected anything less.

I snuck up to the door and pressed an ear to it.

...

Silence.

Of course.

I considered my options.

I knew Neuro would be looking for me by now, and that his methods of searching were much different than what Masa expected.

Masa was expecting a large amount of powerful people to be over turning every rock. There's no way he would expect Neuro to send a thousand Evil Fridays, or follow my scent, or however else Neuro tracks me.

I pulled my arm out of it's sleeve, the darker shade of my PJ's having masked the blood flowing from it.

I had used the fight with Masa's minions as an opportunity to cut myself, leaving a few drops of blood outside the house where I was taken and as soon as I had gotten out of the car.

I knew it would probably freak Neuro out a bit, but it was the only thing I could think of to help him track me.

I just hoped I had left enough blood for him to find.

I glanced around the white walls, tearing the bottom off my undershirt as I did.

There was probably no need to leave blood here too.

It didn't seem like I was going to be moved anytime soon, and I was sure the blood on my clothes would be enough for Neuro to find me.

I tied the ripped cloth over the wound, wincing as I pulled the ends tight.

The white cloth immediately turned red.

Ok, maybe I had cut myself a bit deep, but I need to drip blood without being too noticeable.

A sound outside the door made me quickly pull back, scuttling over to the handcuffs and putting my hands behind my back.

The door flew open a minute later, and Masa stormed in, anger twisting his normally kind looking face into something truly scary.

He grabbed my arm, and ignoring the fact the handcuffs were off pulled up my sleeve.

His action revealed the now red cloth tied over my wound.

Whirling on the guards that followed him in, he grabbed the first one by the collar, and both had a look of fear on their faces.

"How did this happen?! I told you to keep an eye on her!"

The guard mumbled something I couldn't hear, and Masa released the man with a look of disgust.

"Get here a change of clothes and bring in something to bandage the wound.

One of the men promptly left, and Masa's face softened at his departure.

"Are you ok Miss Detective?"

"It's just a little cut."

I was torn between saving the guard that just left and using this incident to cause a division in their group.

Masa carefully removed the makeshift bandage, wincing to himself at the blood that poured out of the cut.

"You should have told me earlier Miss Detective. I would have gotten you a proper bandage."

The other guard came running in, gauze and clothes in hand.

With skin-crawling care Masa wrapped up my wound, his hands careful as they lightly brushed my skin.

"I must admit I find it rather interesting though Miss Detective."

He pulled the ends into a knot, careful not to hurt me as he tightened it.

"How exactly did you get hurt? My men didn't bring any weapons with them, and I'm sure they listened to my command to handle you with kid gloves."

Putting the extra gauze and soiled cloth in the first aid kit, he handed it to one of his men before leaning closer.

"But that would have to mean you hurt yourself. But for what purpose exactly? I can't see it being of any help to you."

I swallowed.

My plan had been a bit too make-shift, and Masa was no idiot.

"The only thing I can think of is that it would help your rescuers find you. But how exactly does that work?"

"I got hurt by accident."

"Now be honest Miss Detective. We both know that's a lie."

I clamped my mouth shut.

"Well, we'll just have to see now won't we? I give you three minutes to change clothes without security watching you. There will be men guarding outside of course though. And if you're not changed by then I'll just have to come back and change you myself. Am I clear Miss Detective?"

"Transparently so."

I waited for the door to close before digging my nails into my arm, trying to erase the feeling of ice his touch had given me.


	48. Search Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Neuro's POV.

* * *

With Yako's cell phone gripped firmly in my hand I flung open the door, my own cell phone pressed against my ear.

There was a disgustingly familiar scent in the kitchen's air.

"What is it?!"

Slave number two sounded as annoyed as usual when he answered the phone, his voice muffled slightly.

"**Find Masa. NOW.**"

"Eh?! I've been working night and day on that project! How am I supposed to just come up with his location?!"

"He took Yako."

There was a moment of silence.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU BLEEDING SAY THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE?! I'M ON IT!"

I paused halfway to the street.

"Tell the fox who's with you to stop lazing around and search!"

"E-EH?! How did you kno-never mind that! FREAKIN' GET ME SOMETHING TO GO ON TO FIND YAKO!"

He hung up before I could say something about his ordering me around.

Not that I had time for that at this point.

I turned towards what had made me pause in the first place.

Blood.

Yako's.

I gritted my teeth.

At least there didn't seem to be enough for her to have been seriously hurt.

I dialed my phone again.

"Check any medical facilities to see if they've had someone fitting Yako's description come in."

I hung up before Slave number two could answer.

Not bothering to call I texted a summary of the situation to Jun, and his response was so full of emoticons I didn't bother to read beyond the first three words.

'I'm on it.'

I retched, a ball of Evil Friday's swarming out of my mouth, as many as I could manage.

A few more than I could manage actually. But I would find a way.

Checking the tire tracks gave me the model number of the car to send Slave number two, but there wasn't much else to go on.

The fox was right, Masa was being extremely cautious.

My eyes went back to the blood dried out on the grass.

A deep breath revealed no sign of a trail.

This was one way only I would be able track her.

Evil Fridays didn't exactly have noses.

I took a breath before using Evil Blind.

It lasted longer than Evil Canceler and used up less power.

And it surely won't do to be seen running around doing inhuman-like feats.

With a leap I hopped onto the nearest roof.

It was unlikely I'd be able to find Yako this way, but there was a chance-however small.

And I wasn't about to let the chance go.

.

.

.

I learned rather quickly there is far too much violence in the city.

Far too much blood.

But while I followed every scent of blood I came across, I had yet to find one that was Yako's.

Or to find Masa's scent.

Any scent exposed for long periods of time to the open air quickly faded away, and I feared it was the same for Yako's trail.

It was cold.

The Evil Fridays were also taking up a large part of my concentration, and I was having a hard time focusing on the scents around me.

I jumped to the roof of the building next to me, five stories up.

Shutting my eyes I listened and saw through the eyes of every Evil Friday out there.

Human blabber, walls, and feet were the only things that greeted me.

I strained my ears, listening for my louse's whine. But there was not a voice similar to her's to be heard.

I took another deep breath.

The metal scent filled my lungs, and it froze there as I held the air there.

The metal smell of blood.

A lot more blood than was at the house.

And it was Yako's.

My eyes snapped open and I glanced in the direction it came from.

Towards the edge of town.

With a leap I jumped from roof to roof, running full speed the entire mile.

I skidded to a stop on the roof opposite the building the smell was coming from.

An abandoned warehouse that looked locked up tight.

The motion cameras and alarm system seemed rather extensive for an empty building.

I breathed deeply again.

The scent was definitely coming from in there.

I jumped to the earth and walked at a fast clip towards the front of the building.

I was far too annoyed to play games with these people.

I would just have to walk in and take Yako back by force.

With an unsheathed a claw I ripped the door off it's hinges and pushed it inwards.

I'd show this worms what happens when you mess with a monster.


	49. Concrete Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:**

* * *

"Are you awake Miss Detective?"

The words were spoken clearly and the fog around my brain lifted with them.

I opened my eyes to see a smiling Masa before me.

Crap.

I can't believe I fell asleep.

"I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to sleep. Do you like the clothes we prepared for you?"

The entire outfit was made up of extremely expensive brand name goods.

Even the socks-and I hadn't been wearing any in the first place.

"They're not really my style."

Masa smiled.

"I'll try to pick out ones you'll like better next time. In the meantime, I have something I'd like to show you."

He nodded towards the men with him, who within thirty seconds brought in a big screen TV.

Masa pressed the power button to show a seemingly live feed of a warehouse.

"Is that where we are?"

Masa merely smiled while pointing to the screen.

"I think there's something you should be even more interested in."

He pointed towards a shadow moving closer to the building, and when the shadow stepped into the light it was revealed to be Neuro.

My heart leaped into my chest.

He was looking for me.

I frowned at the picture.

Even though the video was high quality I seemed to be having a hard time focusing my eyes on Neuro.

My focus always seemed to stray elsewhere.

I glanced at Masa to see he was also frowning.

Neuro was probably using that tool of his.

Evil Blind was it?

I have never been on the receiving end of it before though, so I wasn't sure.

And it was because of this that I couldn't really tell what happened when Neuro was suddenly walking through a hole where a door had been.

A slight gasp from one of the security guards showed it was the same for everyone else.

At least I had a better idea of what had happened though.

The camera switched to inside, and everything was green, suggesting a night vision camera was being used.

Despite the complete blackness Neuro walked into the building and navigated the hall in front of him with little difficulty.

I pressed my eyes closed in a cringe.

Neuro you idiot.

You should see how inhuman that looks.

Neuro was obviously unconcerned by this though, as my breath caught when he looked directly into the camera.

So he knew he was being watched.

At the end of the maze of hallways, in which Neuro had never gotten lost once, it opened up to a large room.

It was completely black looking, save for what little the night camera could pick up. But of course Neuro didn't even pause.

With three long strides he walked to the middle of the room. Bending down he picked up something laying on the floor.

It took a moment for me to register what it was.

The bottom of my undershirt which I had used as a bandage.

Blood-soaked.

I had forgotten Masa had taken it with him when he packed up the first aid kit.

I bit my lip in frustration.

Why couldn't I ever leave a decent trail for Neuro to follow?

I had just sent Neuro on a wild goose chase.

I could feel Masa smiling behind me.

"He really did find it huh?"

Neuro was looking around the room carefully for more clues.

"Though it looks like he came alone. Just as well I suppose."

Masa pulled out his cell phone, sending a text with a bored look on his face.

A second later the video feed went completely white.

It switched to a different camera showing the end scene of the warehouse exploding, collapsing in on itself in a ball of fire.

I couldn't hold back a gasp, nor pull my eyes from the screen.

"I must admit I'm both shocked and impressed your assistant was able to find this warehouse at all. I really just set this trap for the heck of it. I never thought it would actually work."

Masa was smiling thoughtfully.

"You really must tell me. How did he do it?"

I ignored his voice, it barely registering. My full attention was on the video.

Neuro.

Come on Neuro.

"Well, I'll just wait to ask you at another time when you're feeling more talkative. I did tell you I'd have to show you not to trust in others so much. He's definitely not going to be able to rescue you now."

My eyes stayed glued on the wreckage.

Was that movement?

Masa stood up.

"I'll be back to talk to you later when you've had time to digest what's just happened. I really am sorry you have to go through such sadness, but learning such lessons is important."

I couldn't hold back a smile as my eyes picked up Neuro pulling himself out form underneath a slab of concrete.

My mind had just kept remembering the wound on his stomach, and I had been asking myself just how weakened he was right now.

Masa noticed my reaction.

He whirled to look at the video, and his eyes grew scarily hard as he watched Neuro brush dust off his suit.

"Impossible." His voice was a mix of a snarl and a whisper.

I noted with concern Neuro had dropped the Evil Blind, and he actually looked injured.

He had several cuts on his face and a lot of blood was dipping down the side of his face.

But he was alive.

And well enough to look extremely annoyed.

Masa was suddenly right in front of me.

"How is it possible for him to survive that?!"

I merely smiled back, too happy that Neuro was ok.

Masa frowned back and turned to his men.

"Get me a recording of that feed! I want to figure out exactly what happened here!"

He glance at me before walking back towards the door.

"And get Miss Detective back in her handcuffs!"

As if that would hold me.


	50. Bird Trap Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** **Neuro's POV**. Notes to reviewers at end. Hey guys, sorry for the wait again. And now I'm going to be out of country for a month. I'm going to Ireland for the first time and to Lithuania for my second time! So I doubt I'll be able to write, and if I do I won't have my laptop but it'd be on my phone. So I apologize for spelling mistakes and the like ahead of time. I also won't be able to respond to comments seeing how my time will be extremely limited. Sorry. I will respond to all comments when I return though.

As some have guessed,** this is going to be the last arc of Balance. **But I'll save my goodbyes until the last chapter.

I am planning an epilogue, as well as two omakes(of questionable quality) and a question answering authors note. Feel free to ask any questions to myself, and the characters. I thought it would be interesting to offer the readers the chance to ask the characters any questions they like, though no promises on how the satisfyingly the characters will answer. You know I can rarely control them. Sorry if it's a lame or stupid idea, but I know I've wanted to ask questions to the characters before, but felt a little silly doing so. So I'm getting any awkwardness out in the open right now.

I hope you enjoy what chapters I have posted, and I apologize for leaving a bit of a cliff hanger. Yes, I was kind of planning to. If you want to find out what happens you'll just have to wait and see. (^_^) Thank you so much for your kind patience, and I hope I make this arc a worthy ending forall of you who have stuck with me for so long, as well as those who recently took the time to read this story.

* * *

I knew it was a trap.

I could smell it the second the door flew open.

Not a single alarm, not a single guard came running at me, and the building was far too dark for a human to see inside of it.

But I could smell Yako's blood even stronger now, and there was no doubt it was coming from inside.

I walked in without hesitating.

How did they know I'd be able to track Yako's blood?

Or was it Yako in there?

I doubted it.

It was too lightly guarded.

Masa wouldn't go through all the trouble of kidnapping Yako if he didn't want to keep her.

So it was likely just some of her blood waiting for me in there.

The halls were lined with cameras.

He was watching me.

I was sure of this.

Was this a test?

But then what was he testing?

My tracking abilities?

Or was it me he was testing at all?

Was Yako on the other side of those cameras?

I glanced at one.

If so what reason did he have for showing her my navigating thorough a building?

A large room opened up before me, and I saw the source of the scent in the middle of the room.

I picked it up.

Yako.

It was definitely an article of her clothing, and it was dyed red with blood.

How much could humans bleed out before they died?

I didn't know.

But I did know Masa was not going to get away with shedding so much as a drop of Yako's blood.

I searched the room, looking for a hint of who might have been here, or where they may have come from.

When suddenly I smelled fire.

Turning to face the source it was suddenly completely on me.

One of the things I'm most resistant to happens to be fire, and this felt as gentle as a spring rain to me.

Before the building collapsed.

I looked up as the ceiling fell towards me.

Not that I had time to go anywhere safe.

The ceiling hit me full force, and I let out a breath with the impact.

I really was feeling weak lately.

I waited until the building settled before pushing myself up, noting the faint smell of my own blood and the throbbing pain in my stomach.

The wound the female fox had given me had opened again.

With a hiss I pushed the wall of stone off of me, dust turning my coat light grey.

Brushing it off, I looked down at my free hand, the blood stained cloth still in it.

Perhaps this would be something to go on.

But for some reason I doubted it.

I did find it interesting Masa had tried to kill me.

Was it his fear of me because of my actions last time?

Or was it to demoralize Yako?

Either way his plan had failed.

And he probably knew it by now.

I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket, only to realize it had been completely crushed. I dropped it, leaving it to sit on the destroyed building.

I would have to find a pay phone.

Or a human with a cell phone.

Whichever I found first.

.

.

.

It was a human.

A rather reluctant human.

But they quickly got over their reluctance and I was soon calling Slave number two.

Of course I had all the numbers memorized.

I didn't even have contacts in my phone.

"Who is this?!"

"**Who do you think?**"

"How the heck am I supposed to know when you call from an unfamiliar number?! You got anything?!"

"Obviously you don't. Masa just tried to kill me. Figure out who owns the warehouse at this address and get some people down here to clear away the wreckage."

I gave him the address.

"WAIT-WHAT?! ARE YOU OK?!"

"Obviously."

"Did you say wreckage?! DID YOU LEVEL A BUILDING?!"

"No Masa did. On my head."

"AND YOU'RE FINE?!"

"I don't have time to waste on you. **Hurry up and do it.**"

I hung up, turning to smile at the human I had borrowed the phone from.

"Thank you so much."

They barely got a squeak out before grabbing their phone and running off.

And when I had taken the trouble to thank them.

I'd just have to remember not to waste my breath like that in the future.

Before I headed back where there were more witnesses I fixed my blood and dust stained clothes.

I didn't have time to explain myself to curious and busy-body worms.

The wound in my stomach was draining most of my healing power, but I was able to superficially heal the visible wounds.

What if Slave number two had came with me? Jun? Would they have survived?

I didn't think so.

Well, if I was with them they would have of course.

I would have made more of an effort to stop the ceiling from falling. But as it was it used less energy to just take the hit square on then to do something about it.

And less damage.

The only notable injuries were a broken spine and cracked skull.

And the spine was already mostly healed. Though quite honestly it should have been healed by now.

With a hiss I walked across the street, cars screeching to a halt and horns honking as I made it to the other side.

I had forgotten to wait for the green light without Yako with me.

Well, more damage would be done to the car then to me if I got hit.

I felt the wound in my stomach throb. I had taken too much energy away from healing it.

If only I had gotten a meal before Yako was kidnapped, or had used less energy to fight the female fox.

But it does no good to wonder about the what ifs, and Yako didn't have time to wait for me to get a decent puzzle to eat.

I would just have to use my growling stomach as extra incentive to find her.

A trick Yako would completely understand, if not entirely approve.

My grip tightened on the cloth in my hand, the one soaked in Yako's blood.

Before I was merely going to show Masa a monster.

Now I was going to show him hell.

* * *

******Note2: **Actually, I don't believe in hell. I learned recently from a friend who is one of Jehovah's Witnesses that the bible teaches when you're dead it's a sleep-like state. I do have great respect for the bible, so I think it's words have merit. Just an interesting side note. (^_^)

**********Encuentrame: **Lol. I guess she's gotten a bit used to it. And now you can see just how mad Neuro is. I certainly wouldn't want to mess with him. O.O Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! (^_^)

******honeyvonbuny: **Ahahahahahha! I figured no one would be fooled. Masa was though. O.O But he doesn't know Neuro's track record. (^_-) Yako wasn't fooled either. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**********p. aghea:** Lol. Neuro's rubbing off on Yako! I hope you enjoyed this update as well. I figured I should upload a months worth of chapters. I've been writing non-stop for the past week. Glad to hear it, and cool! That is really awesome! Lol. You definitely really like MTNN. I thought it was just me who had dreams in cartoon. None of my friends do... I'm glad you like it so much. (^_^) I never was one for school. Too much crap I didn't care about being shoved into my brain. I usually forgot the boring stuff right away. Though science stuck with me pretty well. Congratz! That is truly amazing! And this coming from the girl who still has trouble spelling some fifth grade level words. (-_-) You may have noticed from my writing. I'm guessing a guy teacher? Or just an extremely sweet female. I'm sure they'll be just as excited as you! Keep up the good work! And thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**************Nadia42:** I think Neuro's too angry to care by now. (-_-;) Thank you! And thank you for reading and reviewing!

******MilissaRukia: ** Aw~! Thank you! Here's more! (^_^) *sigh* Neuro always goes for the extreme when he's angry. And they probably just know she can't get out of the room, and Masa doesn't care if she wanders around in it. He's really self confident that way. They go a bit overboard. Ah well, you'll just have to read the other chapters to find out. Thank YOU for reading them. (^_^) Nah, I'm sure your readers understand. And sometimes when you don't feel like writing there's nothing you can do about it. Thanks again for reading and reviewing!

******teonik04:** And here's even more chapters for ya! (^_^) Thank you so much! Sorry the update took awhile. Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**lunebloodmoon666: ** Lol. Masa has no idea who he messed with. And hopefully more good things on the way! Hope you enjoyed the update! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Mimi MC: ** Aw! Thank you so much! Well, the updates take a bit of time. Sorry about that. Hope you continue to love the story, and thank you for taking the time to review as well as read it. (^_^)

**soshi185: ** Hello Soshi. (^_^) Yes, of course I remember you! Don't worry about feeling guilty, I always feel bad it takes me so long to update. Lol. It's under a new name, so how would you be able to find it? Lol. I completely understand. (^_^) I'm so glad you got the chance to read it though! Ahahaha. I had to read the other story before I wrote again too. Thank you for taking the time to do so. (^_^)  
Aw! Thank you! I did consider having Yako meet Aya, and a few other prisoners she put behind bars, but I was worried I wouldn't be able to capture the characters correctly, and feared what Neuro would do if I left her in there for too long. So in the end I made it shorter then I planned. I do like Aya a lot too. (^_^)

Lol. I'm just pairing everyone up aren't I? I'm so glad you like her! I always hate it when people obnoixously force their OC on readers, or on regular characters. I feared I was doing the same thing. Well, perhaps I was just more subtle about it. *shifty eyes*Ahahahaha. I completely agree with the poor Godai comment. At least he seems to enjoy his torture.

I'm glad it wasn't boring to learn more about an OC, and Nomaen actually gave me the Bermuda Triangle idea. I'm glad she did. (^_^)

Yay! Glad you're liking it! Yeah, Neuro definitely has changed. (-_-;) But I'm chalking it up to being in love with Yako and acting like it's completely normal. It seems like people are buying it. (^_-) Well, they kinda had a kiss...ok, it wasn't a real kiss. We'll have to see what Kira can do about it. (^_^)

Aahahahaha. No, I don't have authors block, I'm just leaving the country. O.O lol. But I'll really try to write there. I really will. No promises though...

Yep, it is. And actually, Masa doesn't really want Yako dead. He wants her on his side. Two of the Four Generals wanted her dead, the ones who weren't Masa and Godai. Well, Godai's known as the Dark Monarch now. And yes, I named him that just so Kira could give him butterfly themed gifts. xP You're right about it not being him but he was involved.

Of course! Dennis Lehane? O.o That sounds interesting. I'll look him up. Thank you (^_^) Sorry, I don't think I'm going to be able to write those versions. Sorry. :/ I still thank you very much for recommending them. I love mysteries. (^_^)

Ahaha. Yep, all girl so far. I'm really not that surprised though.  
Sorry for the wait, hope you enjoy the new chapters! Thank you! Your English is fine! I assumed it was your native tongue. Which maybe it is and you just think you have bad grammar. O.O Thank you! And thank you for reading and reviewing! It's nice to hear from you again!

******Kageryuu: ** Thank you thank you! (#^_^#) (Supposed to be blushing)  
I'm so glad you started from the beginning! I fear if you started with this story it wouldn't make much sense. Uwah! I'm so very glad you liked it so much! And that you didn't find it boring! Lol, if you love the series you've come to the right site. (^_^) Everyone here loves the series so much they wanted more so much they wrote more themselves.

Hmm. It's kind of interesting when I write, for while I have goals, or things I know have to happen. But the parts in between-sometimes whole chapters-come from me imagining myself as that character and how I would react. It's one reason why I feel writing is so personal. It's literally a piece of you on the pages. It's awesome that you write! And I always think writers tend to more critical when reading then those who don't write. So I am extremely thankful you like my work. (^_^) I'm so glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you continue to enjoy it! Thank you so much for taking the time to read and review!


	51. Answer and Answer Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** **Yako's POV**.

* * *

The room was silent again, for Masa had left in a fury and not yet returned.

I tugged on the edge of my hair, missing my confiscated hair clips.

My clothes were soft but foreign, and I found myself with a lot of time.

Too much time.

If you have ever waited in line for long periods of time by yourself, you can probably imagine my boredom.

There was little to do besides think.

And thinking about my current situation wouldn't do any good. Thinking about hostage situations usually leads to panicking, something I couldn't afford to do.

So I thought about Neuro.

About how to help him.

How he was doing.

He must be starving.

We hadn't had a decent case in a while.

And he still had that wound in his stomach.

Did it hurt?

I can't imagine it didn't.

I closed my eyes and leaned back against the wall.

What more could I do to help?

Man I hated being useless!

I should learn karate or something.

Would Neuro find that insulting? Like he couldn't protect me?

Or smart? Knowing he couldn't be with me 24/7?

Either way, I should do something to stop myself from getting kidnapped so often.

Locking my door might be a good start.

My thoughts were interrupted by the door swinging open, a much more composed Masa standing in it's frame.

"Glad to see you're still awake Miss Detective."

I smiled up at him.

"Been too much excitement for me to sleep recently."

"I can imagine."

Masa walked into the room, three men in suits following him in carrying a small table and two chairs.

Masa sat down in the chair farthest from me as all but one of the guards left the room and the door shut behind them.

"Have a seat Miss Detective."

I glanced at the leftover guard.

"Doesn't he get a seat?"

"He prefers standing."

I nodded slowly and sat down in the chair left.

"I have some questions to ask you."

He placed a tablet on the table.

"And I have some to ask you."

Masa looked surprised.

"Well, perhaps we can make a deal then. You answer one of my questions and I'll answer one of yours."

"Sounds fair. I'll answer what I can-IF, I get to go first."

"Fine."

I rested my arms on the table.

"Were you the one who sponsored the old man in England?"

Masa smiled eerily.

"No. My turn."

"But you know who did."

"It's my turn Miss Detective. How did your assistant find the blood stained cloth in the warehouse."

My eyes stayed focused on Masa's. I needed to chose my words carefully.

"He followed his nose."

"His nose? Are you saying he's just as good a detective as you?"

"It's my turn Masa."

Masa snorted. "As you wish."

"How were you involved in the England incident?"

"A general question is it?"

"You'll need to spill it all that way."

"Fine. I made a bet with an old friend of mine. I bet on you, and my friend bet on that old man. Needless to say I won. Now, what did you mean when you said your assistant followed his nose?"

"He followed the scent of my blood. He has an excellent sense of smell."

Masa's gaze hardened. "I request you not lie to me Miss Detective. It rather angers me."

"Then you have no reason to be angry. You asked me a question and I gave the honest answer."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"I spoke the truth. Whether or not you believe me is your issue."

Masa tapped a finger on the table. "I see. Your turn I believe."

"What did you win?"

"Win?"

"In the bet. What did you win?"

Masa's smile was back. "A rather enlightened question. I won his death."

"Excuse me?"

"I won his death, and his finances along with it. Rather a pretty sum if I do say so myself."

My breath froze in my lungs, and I worked hard to keep the disgust off my face.

For it truly was disgusting.

"My turn I believe. How did your assistant survive the buildings destruction?"

"I have no more questions to ask you, so I see no reason to answer yours."

My voice was curt and sharp, even to my ears.

Masa's eyes narrowed. "I see." He smiled with cold eyes. "Then I'll just have to find out for myself. Exactly how many times can your assistant be killed before he stays dead?'

He leaned closer as he whispered.

"Let's find out."

And those were his last words before he left.

.

.

.

The room was silent again, and worry danced around the edges of my thoughts.

I knew Neuro was not at his strongest, and Masa was scarily brilliant. Not smarter than Neuro of course, but brilliant all the same.

You would think the fact that Masa wasn't smarter than Neuro would comfort me, but I had far too many memories of how careless Neuro got when he was angry. And I'm sure by now he was furious.

As long as he was safe though.

He could be as careless and as angry as he wanted, as long as he was safe.


	52. Extent Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Neuro's POV.

* * *

The darkness wrapped around the room as I looked down at Yako's empty bed.

I could hear her mother's breathing from down the hall. She had rushed home when she heard Yako had been kidnapped and had finally fallen asleep after several hours of blubbering.

She, of course, didn't know I was here.

The room felt barren without Yako's soft breath and quiet heartbeat to fill it. Without her worm face laying in her own drool.

I reached down, slowly shifting my center of gravity until I was sitting where Yako usually lay.

On the cold sheets.

I closed my eyes.

No human could be so thorough as to hide from me, yet why had I yet to find a trace of Masa?

I focused harder on the Evil Friday's under my control.

Controlling so many for such a long period of time had started to distract me, but I couldn't get rid of them just yet.

They were the best chance I had of finding her.

"You look tired Parrot."

My eyes snapped open to see the fox standing in the window frame, her appearance reverted back to it's childlike self.

"As do you. Have you grown so weak you are having difficulty keeping your human form?"

She snorted. "Nothing gets past you does it? This smaller state lets me balance my power better, but it isn't something I want Shinobu to see."

"So I'm guessing he hasn't seen your true form either then? Though I suppose he has seen this one, even if he didn't know it was you."

She ignored the latter part of my sentence. "He's never seen your true form either."

"I'm not the one who wants him as a mate."

The fox turned her eyes away.

"Not everyone is as tolerant as Yako."

"So you don't trust him then. Or is it humans in general you have a hard time trusting? I don't recall you showing Yako your true form either."

"This isn't the time for this discussion."

"And now you're running away from it. Perhaps it's not just humans you distrust, but everyone? How sad for your friends."

A claw was suddenly on my throat, but I felt no killing intent from the fox.

Only sadness and anger.

"I'm having just a hard time with Yako's kidnapping as you are Parrot, so stop taking your frustrations out on me."

"I highly doubt it. But I'm merely pointing out the facts, how you take my advice is your decision."

"More like criticism."

The fox removed her claw and there was a long moment of silence.

"Do you miss it Parrot? Being able to see absolute truth? Perhaps you could find Yako faster that way."

I glared at the fox. "What, are you going to offer it to me?"

She smiled. "There are somethings even I can't control. I couldn't even if you begged, you've been tainted already you see."

"Even you can't control huh? How arrogant."

"You're one to talk."

I smiled. "I suppose."

I looked back up the ceiling.

This was the view Yako saw every night.

Well, minus me of course.

"No. I don't miss it. For even if I could see absolute truth I couldn't find Yako any faster. Why fox? Do you miss it?"

Her voice sounded of a smile. "Not even for a second."

"I'm sure Slave number two would be glad to hear that."

"Still calling him that are you?"

"It's far more honorable than calling him be his first name like you shamelessly do."

"You mean like how you call Yako?"

I glanced at the fox to see the smile had never left her face.

"A fine pair we are. How did we let such frail creatures steal our hearts like this?"

"The more frail things tend to be the more beautiful they are. Perhaps because if such beauty also had great strength the world would fall at it's feet."

"My my, how poetic you are."

"You were the one who got his heart stolen first and didn't even realize it had been taken. You're a far greater fool than I."

"In your mind perhaps."

"Perhaps."

Another moment of silence passed.

"He's still in the city you know. Masa. The cameras in that warehouse were only a short range feed. He'd have to be in the city to watch them."

I knew.

"We have do something drastic you know."

I paused.

Drastic?

I guess we would have to.

"We'd have to keep it a secret from the humans."

"I know, they wouldn't like how we do things Parrot."

"The reason I can't find Masa has to be because neither he nor his men are leaving the place Yako is held. It must be pretty self contained. Otherwise I would have picked a scent or hint by now. So we need to drive him out."

The fox's eyes sharpened.

"You realize what you're suggesting."

"An event that would force the evacuation of the entire city. Something that would scare even Masa into moving."

My eyes met hers in the darkness.

She nodded slowly.

"I see why we'd have to keep this especially secret from the humans. A pandemic? No, Masa might feel safer staying isolated then."

"I was thinking of a natural disaster."

Her eyes sharpened.

"You surely can't be thinking...It would kill millions."

"Not if there was a warning first."

"Yako would kill you."

"Which is why it would have to be a secret. Forever. We could never tell anyone."

"And the next time Yako is kidnapped? You want to make a meteor hit?"

"If that's what it takes to get her back."

The fox's eyes didn't blink.

"Then don't let it come to that, just keep a better eye on her next time."

I half smiled, my mind already working on a plan.

"Of course."


	53. Quiet Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: Yako's POV  
**

* * *

The room rolled, my mind blurry and screaming.

"How are you doing Miss Detective?"

Masa's voice.

I struggled to focus on his face.

"F-fine. An-d you?"

A hand stroked my cheek, and I lacked the strength to even pull away.

"All I want you to do is simple. I want you to turn off this stereo. Can you do that?"

"W-why should I do-o anyt-hing you w-want?"

"It something we both want. The music is rather loud, and polka was never a popular genre's of music."

He pulled lightly on my face until I was facing him again.

I didn't know I had turned away.

"Besides, if you do I can make the pain go away. Don't you want to feel happy again?"

'I-I've nev-ver felt happy her-e."

"Perhaps happy was the wrong word. Normal? Yourself? Those might be better. And you need the drug to do that. Don't you want to feel like yourself again Miss Detective?"

"I-I'm not an i-diot. Y-you're not going to stop at the s-stereo."

A blurry picture of Masa smiling.

"I'm glad to hear your thinking ability hasn't been impaired by the drug. But I must ask, so what if I ask you to do something later? Turning off the stereo _certainly_ doesn't hurt anyone. You can worry about what else I ask of you later. And if it's something that you don't _want_ to do, just don't do it. You're only putting off the withdraw I suppose, but wouldn't that give time for your odd assistant to save you? Don't you _want_ him to save you?"

His words sounded almost like a lullaby, a reassuring whisper.

I struggled to breath.

To think.

"N-no."

"No you don't want him to save you?"

I pushed myself to sit upright, fighting just to keep myself there.

"N-no I won't tu-urn off the stereo. N-Neuro will find m-me easier wi-th it on."

Masa's smiled faded slightly, and for a second the world seemed black until I realized I had closed my eyes.

I forced them open again.

"Well, I'll leave you until you change your mind. Just turn off the stereo when you're done listening to it."

The room went dark again as I closed my eyes and went back to leaning against the wall.

The polka music seemed louder than ever, and my head throbbed with every beat.

_Just a little while longer Yako, just a little bit longer...Neuro would come...as long as Neuro came...he would come...just wait a little bit longer...put up with it a little bit longer...ignore the music, ignore Masa...just focus...focus on breathing...just on breathing...in and out in and out in and out in and out in and out in and out...almost sounded like a beat...my head throbbing with the beat...with my breaths...don't focus on that, focus on breathing...in and out in and out in and out in and out...just breath...just wait a little bit longer...just a bit longer...if I could only focus...focus on breathing...on thinking...on Neuro...where was he?...he was late...or was I?...in and out in and out in and out in and out...breath...even though it was so hard to focus...don't worry about that...just focus...can't focus...head...hurts...in and out in and out in and out...sounds almost like music...really loud music...ignore it...in and out in and out in and out...think...just think...focus on something...breathing?...it hurt to breathe...in and out in and out...if I held my breath...would my head stop hurting?...in and out in and out...huh?...in and out in and out...breathe...breathing hurts...stop breathing...not stop...I'll die...just pause...I'll just pause it...just a sec...to think...to focus...wasn't I supposed to be focusing on breathing?...no...hurts to breathe...focus on something...anything...sound?...was there a sound?...a door?...a door opened...voices...no, just one...wait, mine too...two voices...one is mine...warmth...someone's touching...my shoulder...a voice?...it's speaking...saying something...something scary...I should ignore it...don't listen...**don't listen to it**...**DON'T LISTEN TO IT**...**PLEASE DON'T LISTEN**...**STOP**..._

"Good girl Miss Detective. I'll give you your reward."

_voice cutting through my thoughts...don't listen...please don't listen...just a little bit long...long...long...hurts less._

_Pain's leaving._

_Going away._

_Oh._

_It's quiet._

_Really quiet._

_What was I doing again?_


	54. Flush out the Worms Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Neuro's POV.

* * *

The ice shivered in the strong winds that roared at the mountains peak.

I much preferred the heat.

With a sigh I placed the fist full of papers in my hand deep into the snow.

The fox had insisted her talents were better served else-where, but I had a feeling the trickster merely was passing off what she found to be a troublesome task.

I covered the papers with the biggest rock around, a boulder slightly taller than me, and headed back down the mountain.

The fox was waiting for me at the bottom.

"Took your time didn't you Parrot?"

"You have no right to complain when you've pushed your job on others."

"Fine, we'll call it even then."

"It isn't even."

"But we can call it that."

I ignored her response as I eyed the mark on the ground next to her.

"Here?"

"It's the best place."

"At least you did this part of your job. **Evil Drill**."

The twenty foot drill whirled to life as I gave it some of my power.

The fox glared at me, quickly placing the last piece of paper in the box around the drill.

A room sprung from the pages to conceal the drill and muffle the noise.

"Overdoing it a bit with the pages are we fox? You're going to be useless come sunset."

"Which is why we decided to start so early in the morning. You'll just have to find her by the end of the day Parrot."

I smiled down at the drill which was disappearing beneath the earth.

"I was planning to anyway."

As soon as the drill was out of sight and could no longer be heard she pulled down the walls of paper around us.

"Makes sure you get it to stop in precisely thirty two minutes and twenty seven seconds. The last thing we need is to have to fill in a hole that goes to the earths core."

I glanced at her.

"I suppose we should head into the city for the next few minutes."

"I'll be with Shinobu. You can take care of Ishigaki."

"I already have Yako, I don't need two females bossing me around."

"I'm ignoring you for time reasons. See you in thirty minutes fourty two seconds."

And the fox disappeared.

I broke out into a light jog until I reached the outside of the cafe' Jun worked at.

I was spotted immediately.

"Neuro~chan!"

I braced myself for impact as Jun tackled me with a hug.

The bracing was less for actual force and more so I didn't skewer him alive.

"I knew you'd come visit me eventually~! Did you find Yako-chan~?"

He sounded worried.

"We will soon."

Jun looked sad.

"You must be missing her...I know~!"

I was dragged inside the cafe' and forced to sit at a rather lace covered table.

"Special service~! Anything you want is free~!"

"Water."

Jun frowned. "Uwah~! You don't want anything~?! Ah! I have a mystery novel in my bag I thought you'd like! Can you read Albanian?"

I didn't think it'd take me long to learn.

Jun practically ran out of the room to get the book.

_"Uwah! Did you see Jun-kun hug him?! You don't think their together do you?!" _

_"I hope the tall guy starts working here! Jun-tan is so cute around him!" _

_"He looks so angry~! The silent type?" _

I held in a sigh.

Humans always felt the need to talk about whoever was around them.

It was something I didn't fully understand. And something I appreciated Yako rarely did. Though when she did it usually involved what food they were eating.

"I~. Found~. It~!" Jun hopped back over to the table with an extremely think book in his hands.

"It's supposedly one of the hardest mystery books of all time!"

I found that unlikely.

Ten minutes fifty three seconds.

Two.

One.

The entire building shook as an earthquake hit.

The humans in the building screamed as glasses and chairs were knocked to the ground.

I watched with relative amusement as the humans fell to the ground and most hid under the tables, though they seemed to be having a hard time staying there.

I had never expected the humans to be so weak not only on their feet but sitting too.

I was sitting as well but had no problem staying perfectly upright in my seat.

It was forty seven seconds before the earthquake subsided.

Jun pulled himself up and looked around at the strewn tables.

"What a mess~! Everyone ok~?!"

Muffled affirmatives can back, the humans already crawling out from under their tables.

"It's snowing."

A soft voice came from a girl sitting closest to the window, tiny flecks falling outside the window.

"It's snowing black snow."

I smiled to myself.

"Jun? I need you to get in contact with you brothers for me."

Jun's glance at me was slightly sharper than normal.

"I have a favor to ask them."

* * *

**Notes2: **I mean no offense nor mean to downplay the earthquakes that have happened in Japan as of late, it's merely a story and I hope no one takes offense at it.


	55. Garden Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Yako's POV.

* * *

White is an interesting color.

Some may say it's the opposite of a color, completely devoid of any at all and easily colored by others that touch it.

And yet others claim that it's every color, seeing how light is white and yet holds every color as it turns colors based on the objects it hits.

And it's so called polar opposite, black, has the same argument.

Some say it's devoid of light, and thus devoid of color.

Yet if you continually mix every color together, the color you get is black.

So these two colors which are supposedly opposites are really the closest to each other.

I think it's the same for Neuro and I.

Some would say we are polar opposites, but really we're the ones who are closest to each other.

Just like black and white.

Though I don't know who'd be which color mind you.

I don't think Neuro is automatically black, nor automatically white.

Same for me.

Just like the room around me.

It keeps switching from black to white.

Is the room white and when I shut my eyes it turns black?

Or am I in darkness and when I sleep my world turns white?

I can't tell.

Even when the white and black both shook so hard they mixed together, I couldn't tell.

Was it white or black?

Or maybe grey?

And I keep feeling like there's a noise.

Background noise.

A voice so full of static I can't quite hear it.

They sound really urgent.

But every time I try to focus on the static it just buzzes in my ears, the voice completely gone.

It sounds sad though.

The buzz.

The mournful wail of a bee.

In one ear and out the other.

Once in a while I hear an actual voice.

It's not very clear but it sounds very soft.

Very kind.

I try to answer it but sometimes the buzz drowns me out, and I can't speak.

The voice waits until the buzz leaves before asking me again, and sometimes I can answer it then.

Suddenly I'm walking.

I don't know how I got here, but it's very pretty.

A garden.

A garden with butterflies and flowers.

Down the path I follow the rabbit, a string it holds in it's mouth tied to my arm.

It seems worried.

Nervous.

Though I suppose I would be too if I was a bunny.

They always seem so twitchy.

Suddenly the garden ends, the path continuing through the empty dirt.

There seems to be something else on the path.

A bird?

No, too big.

A person?

Yes, a person.

I knew them.

I had to.

They were far too familiar.

Oh.

How could I have forgotten.

It was Neuro.

Why was he in the garden?


	56. Safety Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Neuro's POV.

* * *

The fox was still in Slave number two's office even after I took out the drill.

I growled to myself as I climbed the stairs to his office, annoyed I had to hunt them down.

The fox was supposed to have taken care of this herself.

The female at the desk raced to hit the button to unlock the door before I flung it open.

Though it would have opened if it was locked or not.

"Neuro!" Slave number two hung up the phone as soon as he saw me.

"THANK GOODNESS! CONVINCE YOUR SISTER TO EVACUATE!"

The fox glanced at me from her position on Slave number two's desk.

She didn't look in a hurry to leave.

"Why should she evacuate?"

"DON'T YOU GUYS WATCH THE FREAKIN' NEWS?! MOUNT FUJI IS ABOUT TO ERUPT! IT'S BEEN SPRAYING ASH FOR ALMOST AN HOUR NOW AND THE ASH COULD EVEN BURY THE CITY!"

"So? Didn't she say now would be the best time to catch Masa? He has to evacuate too, if more for the localized earthquakes then lava."

Slave number two froze. "You too?! What about Kira's safety?!"

"She's far safer then you are here, and finding Yako is of current priority since we have no idea how safe she is."

There was another pause.

"You two did this didn't you?"

The fox glanced at me, her eyes dark.

I forced my face to stay neutral.

"How in the world could we force a natural disaster? It just has good timing for us. Now, are you coming or not?"

Slave number two glanced at the fox before nodding.

"Yeah. Let me rally the troops."

.

.

.

I stood at the edge of the road, eyes shut and focusing on the Evil Fridays I controlled.

_"Why is he just standing there? Where are we supposed to go?" _

**"Silence."**

The hundred or so men behind me jumped, but didn't speak again.

I scanned the Evil Friday's again.

A hint.

All I needed was a hint.

"...pack up and get out of here..."

"...should call your sister..."

"...get the car ready, we have to get the girl out of here..."

My eyes snapped open, all my focus going to the one Evil Firday.

"Masa told us to be ready to go within the half hour, we don't have time for you to be dawdling."

I smiled, the voices were coming from about three hundred feet under the Evil Friday who picked them up.

All the Evil Friday's in the area swarmed on it's location.

A door.

I needed to find the door.

An Evil Friday paused above a sewer grate.

Climbed through it.

Looked inside.

Found it.

I turned with an extremely pleased smile plastered on my face.

"Oak St, Sewer grate in front of residence 32. **Move.**"

The men were already halfway to the cars before my Evil Friday disabled the locks on the grate.

We were on our way Yako.

.

.

.

I went first of course, though the fox followed my seconds later-much to the protest of Slave number two.

We went to disable the firing squad waiting for us down below.

They must have heard our cars pull up.

Not surprising seeing as how there were at least thirty cars up there.

Another mesh of Yakuza, cops and gangsters all moving towards one goal: Save Yako.

Again.

The firing squad was barely a fight, though I did find myself in need of fixing my clothes afterwards.

As did the fox.

"Kira?! Are you alright?!"

Slave number two was merely seconds late for getting shot, and witnessing our clothes fix.

The fox smiled at him.

"Perfectly fine. The Parrot and I couldn't be taken down so easily."

"Don't group me with yourself Fox."

Those who followed Slave number two looked at the fifteen or so laying at our feet, and their eyes held new respect for us.

Who knew it took such little power for humans to respect you?

I completely ignored the lackeys, either allowing the bullets to hit me or if they were within arms range taking them out with one hit.

I was after Masa.

And he wasn't escaping me again.

The fox followed close behind, taking more care than I had to not get shot, and keeping Slave number two-who was following her-out of harms way.

I could smell it.

A scent so familiar and unlike any other, mixed with a scent I found truly disgusting.

Yako and Masa.

"Does he know where he's going?"

The fox took a long breath herself, and sped up as the air hit her lungs.

"Yes."

Her answer to his question was curt, and Slave number two didn't ask another.

A door stood before us, thirty armed men between me and it.

My claws instinctively started to unsheathe.

"Go. Shinobu and I can handle these weaklings."

"EH?! SO MANY?!"

I glanced at the fox before nodding, jumping over the men before us and reaching for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

One of the men aimed his gun at me, only to have it stolen by the fox.

She and Slave number two were suddenly between the men and me, and Slave number two looked just as surprised as the men before him.

"Sorry, you'll just have to play with us."

The fox smiled as with inhuman speed she punched the nearest worm in the stomach, his face twisting in pain.

I shut the door behind me.

The room was white, bigger than I had expected.

A good two hundred feet separated me from Masa and Yako.

"Hello. You got here rather quickly."

Masa's voice seemed unconcerned, and Yako stared at me with blank eyes.

I felt my anger rising.

"What's wrong with Yako?"

"Not one for chatting are you? Not like your little friend here. She told me all sorts of things. She's rather obedient too."

A disgusting smile was plastered on his face, and I registered he wasn't holding on to her.

She was standing there without any restraints.

"Yako?"

Her eyes blinked for the first time, but she didn't answer.

"She no longer answers to you I'm afraid. And she held out such hope you would rescue her. Well, before the drugs kicked in. Now she only listens to me."

I felt myself tense, and Masa quickly responded by showing me what was in his hand.

A gun.

Pointed at Yako.

"You, dear man, are truly remarkable. I've been watching you on the security monitors. You don't die when a building falls on you, or when you get shot. You really must tell me, what is your secret?"

"Didn't Yako tell you?"

Masa's smiled cracked.

"It seems she's still a bit foggy from the drug. Won't you tell me in her place?"

"I see no reason to."

Masa pursed his lips, thinking.

Could I reach Yako before the bullet did?

This was not a time to exaggerate my health.

I wasn't exactly in prime condition.

One of my legs was shattered from the firing squad, and while I could still move at an alarming speed, I wasn't sure if I could out-run a bullet just now.

Not to mention various other wounds that may slow me down.

And if I did risk it, and failed.

Yako.

I took a deep breath.

Just a bit closer.

Just wait for him to let his guard down just a bit.

"Well, if you're not willing to tell me, I'll just have to run some experiments on you. See if there's anything that _does _leave a mark."

His smile was full of superiority.

The fool.

Just point the gun at me.

Away from Yako and at me.

"Though, perhaps it shouldn't be me...this is only our second meeting after all. It would be rude to start torturing you now."

He reached into his pocket.

"Someone you know, on the other hand, could do it for me."

He pulled out a second gun, and handed it to Yako.

She took it with lifeless eyes.

Masa smile broadened.

"Why don't you shoot Neuro Nogami for me? Right in the middle of his head if you don't mind."

Yako glanced at Masa, her lips moving wordlessly.

"Now now Miss Detective, I don't have all day."

Yako glanced down at the gun in her hand before pointing it at me.

Her eyes seemed unfocused as she leveled it off.

With a click she turned off the safety.


	57. Water the Garden Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Yako's POV.

* * *

The path seemed to get darker.

Why was Neuro here?

And he seemed to be talking to someone.

To who?

I glanced around to see the bunny was gone.

Something else stood in it's place.

A person?

Yes, a man.

He spoke with a kind voice that seemed familiar.

I knew this man too.

He sounded so kind.

Like someone I trusted.

A man who I trusted.

My dad?

Yes, he was my dad.

He was talking to Neuro.

Saying something to him.

Neuro was answering.

Something seemed off about Neuro.

Was he upset?

Sick?

Yes, perhaps sick.

He seemed kinda sick.

My dad was talking again, and he handed something to me.

I looked down at it.

Metal.

Silver metal.

A hose?

For the garden?

The dirt did need watered after all.

Maybe it would even grow some flowers.

Though some already seemed to be growing at Neuro's feet.

Carnations?

Roses perhaps?

My dad was suddenly talking to me.

He wanted me to water Neuro.

A prank.

For all the pranks Neuro played on me.

A good prank too.

I tried to smile, but found it hard to move my mouth.

I lifted the hose to aim at Neuro.

Though Neuro already looked like he had been sprayed with water.

He was dripping red water onto the path, watering the red roses at his feet.

Tiny little rose buds.

But water isn't red.

Why was Neuro dripping red water?

Almost the shade of blood.

Actually, it looked a lot like blood.

Was it blood?

I tried to ask Neuro if he was ok.

If he was hurt.

My mouth couldn't seem to form the words.

Well, I could always hose the blood off for him.

Perhaps that would help.

I heard a click as I turned the hose's safety off.

An odd hose.

My father was holding a hose too, but his was facing the garden.

Well, if he turned it on I'd probably get hit with water too.

Neuro was looking straight at me.

I tried to tell my dad this probably wouldn't turn out to be a very good prank, since Neuro would just steal the hose from me and spray me with it, but my dad insisted it'd be fine.

Funny.

A good prank.

My dad would know what's best right?

He's the one who introduced me to Neuro after all.

He had?

Yeah, I had forgotten.

Neuro showed up to eat my mystery thanks to my father.

Thanks to his death.

My father was dead.

He was dead?

Then who was this man who looked like my father?

I looked at the hose in my hand.

Odd sort of hose, one with a safety.

Just the spigot actually.

There didn't seem to be a hose attached to it.

In fact, it looked little like a spigot at all.

It looked more like a gun.

I think it may actually be a gun.

And I am pointing it at Neuro.

I was told to shoot him.

With the gun I'm holding.

If I shoot him I'll get food.

Really good food.

Food that will make my stomach stop growling.

No food has ever done that before.

I needed that food.

I really needed it.

But Neuro.

I couldn't shoot him.

Why not?

He would survive.

Something as small as a bullet couldn't kill him.

My eyes rested on the small roses around his feet.

No, not flowers.

Puddles of blood.

Just small ones, but Neuro doesn't bleed.

He's hurt.

Hurting.

Maybe dying.

Could he survive a bullet like this?

I didn't know.

But I _REALLY _need that food.

I can feel hunger gnawing at me again.

Hunger far more intense then I had ever had before.

I needed that food.

I really did.

I would only get it if I shot Neuro.

Neuro who is hurt.

But I needed it.

I felt the trigger.

_Really needed it._

And I knew I was going to pull the trigger eventually.

The man who was not my father had asked me to.

And if I did what he asked I would get that really good food.

That food I needed.

So I was definitely going to pull the trigger.

Definitely.

But Neuro.

I didn't want to shoot Neuro.

I couldn't.

Not him.

I couldn't lose him too.

The bee was back.

The buzzing.

The sad buzzing.

Almost like a voice.

A sad voice.

A desperate voice.

Growing louder and louder.

I really needed that food.

I should pull the trigger.

The buzzing is so loud.

Almost sounds like screaming.

A sad, desperate bee screaming.

It has a really familiar voice.

Really familiar.

But I need to pull the trigger.

I shouldn't listen to it.

I shouldn't listen.

Don't listen.

Please don't listen.

Just pull the trigger.

Pull it.

**Now.**

And the gun went off.


	58. Kira

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Kira's POV. For those of you who have a hard time reading this font or can't see all the symbols, there's a plain text version I uploaded after it.

* * *

เ ς๏ยl๔ ร๓єll เt ๒єŦ๏гє เ єשєภ ๏קєภє๔ tђє ๔๏๏г.

tђє ร๓єll ๏Ŧ ๒l๏๏๔ คภ๔ ђคtє.

tђє г๏๏๓ ฬคร קคเภtє๔ гє๔.

เ Ŧг๏zє คt tђє єภtгคภςє, ภ๏t ฬคภtเภg t๏ g๏ เภ. t๏ รєє ฬђคt เ'๔ Ŧเภ๔.

๒l๏๏๔ ร๏คкє๔ ๓א รђ๏єร คร เ รtєקקє๔ เภt๏ tђє г๏๏๓.

tђє gยภ ฬคร รtเll เภ ђєг ђคภ๔, คภ๔ รђє lคא เภ ค ק๏๏l ๏Ŧ ђєг ๏ฬภ ๒l๏๏๔.

ค ๒ยllєt ฬ๏ยภ๔ เภ tђє รเ๔є ๏Ŧ ђєг ђєค๔.

ภ๏ ร๏ยภ๔ ๏Ŧ ђєг ђєคгt ๒єคtเภg. ภ๏ ร๏ยภ๔ ๏Ŧ ๒гєคtђเภg.

ค שєгא ๔єคг Ŧгเєภ๔.

๓א שєгא Ŧเгรt Ŧгเєภ๔.

รђเภ๏๒ย รt๏๏๔ ภєץt t๏ ๓є, ђเร ђคภ๔ gгค๒๒เภg ๓เภє คt tђє รเgђt.

קยllเภg ๓є ςl๏รєг t๏ ђเ๓ ร๏ เ ς๏ยl๔ภ't รєє.

๒ยt เ คlгєค๔א ђค๔ รєєภ เt.

אคк๏'ร ๒๏๔א.

รђเภ๏๒ย'ร gгเק tเgђtєภє๔, คภ๔ ๓א ๓เภ๔ร ฬђเtєภєรร ฬคร ๒г๏кєภ.

เ ς๏ยl๔ รtเll ร๓єll tђє ђคtє.

คภ๔ ๓ค๔ภєรร.

ร๏ ๓ยςђ ๓ค๔ภєรร.

รςгєค๓ร ๏Ŧ tєгг๏г Ŧг๏๓ ค ๓คภ ฬђ๏ ђค๔ קг๏๒ค๒lא ภєשєг кภ๏ฬภ tєгг๏г ยภtเl tђเร ๔คא.

ค ๓๏ภรtєг ђєl๔ ђเ๓, ๒l๏๏๔ รtคเภє๔. ๏Ŧ ςlคฬร คภ๔ tєєtђ คภ๔ Ŧєคtђєгร. ๓ค๔ภєรร เภ ђเร єאєร.

เ ฬคภt t๏ ן๏เภ ђเ๓.

รђเภ๏๒ย'ร gгเק เร ฬђคt รt๏קร ๓є.

кєєקเภg ๓є รคภє.

เt'ร t๏๏ ๓ยςђ tђ๏ยgђ, tђє קคгг๏tร ๔คгкภєรร.

tђє ๔г๏ฬภเภg ק๏ฬєг ђє'ร гєlєครเภg.

เt ς๏ยгรєร tђг๏ยgђ ๓א שєเภร คภ๔ Ŧ๏гςєร ๓א ђย๓คภเtא t๏ lєคשє ๓є. รl๏ฬlא รєєקเภg ๏ยt.

เ ςคภ Ŧєєl ๓אรєlŦ รђгเภкเภg.

ς๏ภรєгשเภg ק๏ฬєг.

гєשєгtเภg t๏ ςђเl๔lเкє Ŧ๏г๓.

เ ςคภ Ŧєєl รђเภ๏๒ย'ร รђ๏ςк.

รยгקгเรє.

๓๏ยtђเภg รเlєภt ฬ๏г๔ร คร ђє ฬคtςђєร ๓א tгคภรŦ๏г๓คtเ๏ภ.

คภ๔ Ŧเภคllא, ๓א tгยє Ŧคςє เร гєשєคlє๔.

คll ๓א ๔єŦєภรєร รtгเקקє๔, เ รtгยgglє t๏ ๒гєคtђє.

เร tђคt รtเll รђ๏ςк ๏ภ รђเภ๏๒ย'ร Ŧคςє؟ ๏г เร เt ภ๏ฬ ђ๏гг๏г؟

เ'๓ t๏๏ คŦгคเ๔ t๏ l๏๏к.

คภ๔ tђเร г๏๏๓ เร ภ๏t รคŦє.

tђє קคгг๏t ђ๏l๔ร tђє ๓คภ, tђє ๓คภ ฬђ๏ ђคร ภ๏ ๓๏гє ๒l๏๏๔ t๏ ๒lєє๔.

๔єค๔.

๒ยt tђє קคгг๏t รtเll гєєкร ๏Ŧ ๓ค๔ภєรร.

๓ค๔ภєรร ฬเtђ ภ๏ гєlєครє.

ђเร єאєร tยгภ t๏ฬคг๔ร ยร.

เ ภєє๔ t๏ кєєק ๓א l๏שє รคŦє.

ђเ๓, คt lєครt, เ ςคภภ๏t l๏รє.

ฬเtђ ค ợยเςк คภ๔ ร๓๏๏tђ ๓๏tเ๏ภ เ קยรђ ђเ๓ ๏ยt tђє ๔๏๏г, tєคгเภg คฬคא Ŧг๏๓ ђเร gгครק ๏ภ ๓є คร เ ςl๏รє เt ๒єђเภ๔ ђเ๓.

เ ςคภ Ŧคเภtlא ђєคг ђเ๓ ςคllเภg ๓א ภค๓є.

tђє קคгг๏t ฬคlкร t๏ฬคг๔ร ๓є, ђเร єאєร tђ๏รє ๏Ŧ ค ๔єค๔ ๓คภ.

ς๏๓เภg t๏ฬคг๔ร ๓є.

เ кภ๏ฬ เ ςคภ't ๒єคt ђเ๓.

๒ยt เ ђคשє t๏.

Ŧ๏г รђเภ๏๒ย.

๓א l๏שє.

เ glคภςє คt אคк๏.

คt ฬђคt ยรє๔ t๏ ๒є אคк๏.

๓א Ŧгเєภ๔.

คlฬคאร ร๏ ๒гเgђt.

เ Ŧєєl ๓א ๒гєคtђ Ŧเll ๓א lยภgร คร เ tคкє ค ςl๏รєг l๏๏к.

ค lเgђt.

ร๏ שєгא Ŧгคgเlє คภ๔ ฬєคк.

๒ยt เt รtเllร รђเภєร.

ค lเgђt.

"ภєยг๏."

เ ςคภ't ๒гєคtђє Ŧ๏г tђє ฬ๏г๔ร.

"รђє เรภ't ๔єค๔ אєt."

tђє קคгг๏t קคยรєร, ђเร ๓เภ๔ รtเll ฬ๏гкเภg ยภ๔єг ђเร คภgєг.

ร๏гг๏ฬ.

"tђ๏ยgђ ђєг ђєคгt ภ๏ l๏ภgєг ๒єคtร, ђєг ๓เภ๔ รtเll ђคร lเgђt. รђє'ร ภ๏t ๒гคเภ ๔єค๔ אєt."

єשєภ เ ςคภภ๏t ๒гเภg tђє ๔єค๔ t๏ lเŦє.

๏ภςє ๔єค๔ เร คlฬคאร ๔єค๔. ๒ยt lเŦє.

คภא lเŦє.

lเŦє เ ςคภ ฬ๏гк ฬเtђ.

lเŦє เ ςคภ ђєlק gг๏ฬ.

tђє ฬ๏гl๔ รєє๓ร Ŧг๏zєภ. tђє קคгг๏t tгเєร t๏ รקєคк. t๏ tђเภк.

"ςคภ א๏ย รคשє ђєг؟"

ђเร ש๏เςє เร ςгคςкє๔ คภ๔ ๔єรקєгคtє.

เ ร๓เlє๔.

"เ ςคภ."

เ lคא ค ђคภ๔ ๏ภ אคк๏'ร ђєค๔.

"๒ยt єשєгאtђเภg ђคร เt'ร קгเςє. คгє א๏ย ฬเllเภg t๏ קคא เt؟ เ ฬคгภ א๏ย เt'ร ค รtєєק ๏ภє."

tђє קคгг๏t l๏๏кє๔ คt ๓є, єאєร รtเll ςl๏ย๔є๔, ๒ยt ђเร ๓เภ๔ ฬ๏гкเภg ςlєคгєг. ภ๏ฬ tђคt tђєгє ฬคร ђ๏קє.

"๏Ŧ ς๏ยгรє. Ŧ๏г אคк๏. คภאtђเภg."

คภאtђเภg เร ค รtг๏ภg ฬ๏г๔.


	59. Kira Plain Text Duplicate

**A copy of the previous chapter in normal print.**

* * *

I could smell it before I even opened the door.

The smell of blood and hate.

The room was painted red.

I froze at the entrance, not wanting to go in.

To see what I'd find.

Blood soaked my shoes as I stepped into the room.

The gun was still in her hand, and she lay in a pool of her own blood.

A bullet wound in the side of her head.

No sound of her heart beating. No sound of breathing.

A very dear friend.

My very first friend.

Shinobu stood next to me, his hand grabbing mine at the sight.

Pulling me closer to him so I couldn't see.

But I already had seen it.

Yako's body.

Shinobu's grip tightened, and my minds whiteness was broken.

I could still smell the hate.

And madness.

So much madness.

Screams of terror from a man who had probably never known terror until this day.

A monster held him, blood stained. Of claws and teeth and feathers. Madness in his eyes.

I want to join him.

Shinobu's grip is what stops me.

Keeping me sane.

It's too much though, the Parrots darkness.

The drowning power he's releasing.

It courses through my veins and forces my humanity to leave me.

Slowly seeping out.

I can feel myself shrinking.

Conserving power.

Reverting to childlike form.

I can feel Shinobu's shock.

Surprise.

Mouthing silent words as he watches my transformation.

And finally, my true face is revealed.

All my defenses stripped, I struggle to breathe.

Is that still shock on Shinobu's face? Or is it now horror?

I'm too afraid to look.

And this room is not safe.

The Parrot holds the man, the man who has no more blood to bleed.

Dead.

But the Parrot still reeks of madness.

Madness with no release.

His eyes turn towards us.

I need to keep my love safe.

Him, at least, I cannot lose.

With a quick and smooth motion I push him out the door, tearing away from his grasp on me as I close it behind him.

I can faintly hear him calling my name.

The Parrot walks towards me, his eyes those of a dead man.

Coming towards me.

I know I can't beat him.

But I have to.

For Shinobu.

My love.

I glance at Yako.

At what used to be Yako.

My friend.

Always so bright.

I feel my breath fill my lungs as I take a closer look.

A light.

So very fragile and weak.

But it stills shines.

A light.

"Neuro."

I can't breathe for the words.

"She isn't dead yet."

The Parrot pauses, his mind still working under his anger.

Sorrow.

"Though her heart no longer beats, her mind still has light. She's not brain dead yet."

Even I cannot bring the dead to life. Once dead is always dead.

But life.

Any life.

Life I can work with.

Life I can help grow.

The world seems frozen.

The Parrot tries to speak. To think.

"Can you save her?"

His voice is cracked and desperate.

I smiled.

"I can."

I lay a hand on Yako's head.

"But everything has it's price. Are you willing to pay it? I warn you it's a steep one."

The Parrot looked at me, eyes still clouded, but his mind working clearer.

Now that there was hope.

"Of course. For Yako. Anything."

Anything is a strong word.


	60. Weak Godai

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN or The Hobbit**

**Notes:** **Godai's POV**. This is my next to last update, so I won't be able to respond to reviewers anymore after my next update. I hope you don't find the next few chapters repetitive in any way... Notes to reviewers at end.

* * *

I know I'm not the smartest bleedin' guy in the world.

But standing the the middle of the street with almost a hundred of my men and other volunteers, with ash falling around us and the sky dark from smoke, even I knew this seemed stupid.

Waiting for the monster in front of us to give some sort of signal as which way to go, and said monster standing calmly with his eyes closed and back to us.

Some of my men eyed me, their questions silenced only by my command to keep quiet. The whispers among themselves had died out completely after an order from the monster.

Not as if I could answer their questions anyway. How the heck should I know what we were waiting for? Not like the monster keeps me informed.

Kira grabbed my hand and squeezed it lightly, smiling at me as she did.

I half smiled back, wondering if she knew what her monster brother was waiting for.

I still had the feeling that they both had something to do with the current situation.

Okay, so maybe it is impossible to start a volcano, but isn't it just as impossible to stand perfectly upright during an earthquake?

And yet Kira had seemed to do so quite effortlessly.

Calmly.

Not at all surprised.

As I clung to the desk using every muscle in my body just to stay in my chair.

Why do I sometimes get this feeling I'm the freakin' weakest person out of my friends?! I'm the bleedin' leader of the now largest Yakuza syndicate in the country!

Yet I always feel so bleedin' weak.

And stupidly out of the loop.

I was beginning to wonder if Kira viewed me the same way.

Weak.

With such a fearsome brother and such strength herself how could she view me any differently?

My strength was all I bleedin' had too. I'm not especially smart like Kira is, kind like Yako or passionate about anything.

And at times like these, when Kira so calmly waited in the raining ash, I couldn't help but feel left out.

She was in the loop. I wasn't.

So what exactly was I doing here?

Following the orders of the monster as always, having no idea what I was doing.

A smile spread across his face as his eyes opened, and for a moment I wondered if he had heard my thoughts.

I wouldn't put it past him.

"Oak St, Sewer grate in front of residence 32. **Move.**"

Yet another order that I have no idea why I'm following it.

.

.

.

The street was quiet, and I wondered why in the world the monster picked this place out of all places.

Easily lifting a no doubt hundred pound storm grate with one hand, the monster softly tossed it in the grass so as not to make a noise.

As if all of our cars tire's screeching to a halt hadn't woken up half the neighborhood already.

"Follow me after the sound of shooting stops."

The men with me nodded dumbly at the monster, not that he waited around to see it. To him it was a given they would agree.

Kira walked after him, a foot on the ladder before I was close enough to grab her arm.

"Where the heck are you going?! You don't have a bullet proof vest on, and you're not even armed!"

She blinked at me, pausing before she smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll be with the parrot. Besides, you have to stay with the men to keep them organized."

"I know I have to stay with the men! That's why you're staying here too! As if the monster will even notice you're there!"

Kira's smile widened and she bit her lip, an action that seemed completely out of place for the situation.

"I'll be fine~. Trust me okay?" Her lips briefly met mine before she disappeared down the hole, giving me no chance to answer her.

"KIRA?!" My own voice echoed back to me from the empty passage way.

There was a moment of silence before I could hear guns firing.

"FREAKIN' HECK!" Muttering to myself I turned to my men. "COME ON!"

Charging down the ladder and through the narrow tunnel, I led the way with my gun drawn.

Come on Kira, be safe.

The tunnel widened out to a room, the monster and Kira were the only ones standing.

The rest-approximately fifteen men-laid unconscious on the floor.

I skidded to a halt, and my men followed suit behind me.

Fifteen men wasn't that unbelievable for the monster, but the room was littered with bullet casings and bullet holes.

And both Kira and the monster were unscathed.

While it wasn't a completely shocking sight to me, it was for my men who were obviously staring.

"Kira?! Are you alright?!" I hurried over to check her for wounds, but as suspected I found none.

"Perfectly fine. The Parrot and I couldn't be taken down so easily." She was smiling again, pulling her arms out of my grasp and replacing it with her hands.

The 'Parrot' was already heading down the hall, but apparently he was listening. "Don't group me with yourself Fox."

To be honest I had never really gotten used to the odd nicknames the siblings had given each other, and I made a mental note to ask Kira why they had chosen such names later.

Kira pulled me with her as she went after the monster, my men following us as we hurried down the hall.

We weren't twenty feet down the hall when more armed men appeared, and my own men ran to fight them.

I tried to pull Kira behind me before they reached us, but she merely walked faster, dodging weapons and fists while following the monster.

Even when we had passed all my men we somehow managed past the other guards, neither Kira nor myself being hit by a single thing.

The monster, on the other hand, had been shot several times.

The first time I had reflexively shot back, and tried to look at the monsters wound. But he didn't flinch nor slow no matter how many times he was shot, moving at a speed definitely impossible for someone so wounded.

Scary.

But at least it showed how worried about Yako he was.

I glanced at Kira to see how she felt about her brother being shot in front of her, but she had the same steely face as the monster.

I found their lack of concern for one another a little more than unnatural, though having seen it before I wasn't surprised. Perhaps it was just that they knew each others strength and what they could take. But even knowing Kira was strong I couldn't imagine my reaction if she actually got hit by one of the men firing at her.

Worry.

Anger.

Normal emotions-no matter how strong some one is.

Yet it was as if the two had a blind spot towards each other.

I kicked away one of the men who took a swing at Kira right before I was pulled down yet another hallway in this maze of hallways.

"Does he know where he's going?" I glanced at Kira as I spoke.

She answered me without even looking back. "Yes."

How the heck he would know where to go, and how Kira knew we weren't lost I had no idea. But I knew neither of them would beat around the bush with Yako in danger.

I barely had time to see the door in front of us before the monster kicked it down, the wood splitting at the hinges. He hadn't even bothered to check if it was locked.

A group of men stood in the rather large room.

A large room for a large group of large men.

For once I was glad the monster was here.

The monster who had sped up at the sight.

Kira sped up too, pulling me with her, fast enough to run along side the monster."Go. Shinobu and I can handle these weaklings."

"EH?! SO MANY?!" My voice came out as more of a gasp than I had planned, mostly because I was out of breath from running so hard.

The monster nodded at her words, the first time he had looked at her since the tunnel. He jumped over the men before him, an obviously impossible feat.

But I wasn't surprised by such feats anymore.

The men stared in shock however, only one managing out a sentence. "Where do you think you're going?!"

Suddenly the ground was no longer under my feet, replaced by air as Kira followed the monsters flight path. It was a miracle I was able to land on my feet, but Kira somehow managed to not only land gracefully but also snag the gun from the man who spoke.

The men before us looked shocked, staring at the three of us as if we were monsters.

Well, at least one of us was.

"Sorry, you'll just have to play with us."

Kira's smile was not a kind one, and not one I had often seen before.

One of the men lunged at her and her fist was suddenly in his stomach, launching him back where he came from.

And suddenly there was chaos, men attacking from all directions and fists and weapons flying.

My back hit Kira's as I moved closer, knowing that while it would be unlikely I could keep the men from reaching her, I could at least keep them from attacking her from behind.

My elbow hit one of the men in the nose and my foot quickly followed.

"You okay?" I didn't want to dodge for fear any of the hits would land on Kira, so I did my best to keep the attackers mostly at a kicking distance.

"Having fun~. And you?"

I couldn't help but smile a bit.

Of course she would find this fun.

"Me too."

I had felt rather weak for a while now, having been out of breath from a running at a pace that seemed effortless to Kira and the monster, and having been overwhelmed by the monster and Kira's combined power. But here, fighting these normal people, I felt back in my element. Heck, they were even weak.

It was just a few minutes before I was kicking the last man unconscious. I turned to find Kira staring at me.

"W-what?"

Had I been weaker than she thought or something?

"You look so cool when you're fighting~." She was biting her lip again, a smile on her face.

I felt my face grow hot from annoyance.

"P-please. I look completely-" My words cut off as a gunshot fired behind the shut door.

Both Kira and I turned towards it.

"Did the monster have a gun with him?"

Kira was silent as she walked towards the door, pausing with her hand on the knob.

I had a feeling the answer was no.

Was she now worried for her brother whom she had seemed unconcerned with? Or was it Yako she feared for?

Her hand slowly turned the knob and I hurried to join her as she pushed the door open and stepped into the room.

I almost choked.

I could feel the killing intent pouring out of the room. I had never felt anything even close to this freakin' strong before, and I had been in quite a few very intense fights.

Kira was looking at something in the red.

Blood.

A lot of it.

And Yako was in the middle of it.

Dead.

With a gun in her own hand.

She had shot herself.

Yako.

I reached for Kira's hand.

It was shaking.

This wasn't the time for me to mourn. I had to be strong right now, I would think about Yako later.

Right now my mind had to be on the living.

Kira.

My grip on Kira's hand tightened as I glanced about the room.

We weren't alone in it.

And suddenly it registered I was hearing screaming.

The screaming of someone in pain and terrified.

I pulled Kira close to me, to shield her from the sound. The view of blood. The screaming of a dead man.

A dead man screaming at his own death.

The tall figure of the grim reaper who held him full of blood-lust and killing intent.

An impossible figure with the head of a bird and hands of talons.

**_Monster._**

**_A true monster._**

An impossible picture.

_**A nightmare.**_

Fear gripped the edges of my thoughts, but I knew not giving into such fear was vital.

I had learned that through many years of fighting extremely scary people.

People who now seemed like pigeons next to this bird of prey.

This monster.

Hatred boiling in it's eyes and blood spattered across his bright blue suit.

I forced my brain to think past the terror.

A suit I recognized.

_Parrot. _

Suddenly the name made sense, if only for the bird-like head.

Kira's grip on my hand suddenly tightened, and I glanced down at her shivering form.

Her eyes meet mine as she sinks into the ground.

No, she's not sinking, she's shrinking.

Shrinking into a form I recognize.

Someone I had forgotten.

A child, a child who had once called herself the Puzzle Seller.

Who had said her name was Kira.

Her eyes look away, no longer able to hold mine, this child.

And suddenly she grows again, faster this time.

With pointed ears and pointed teeth, with a tail and long nails.

A Kira I don't know.

Yet somewhat familiar, reminding me of yet another time I had thought she was beautiful and yet so frightening.

Like she would steal your soul if you looked her in the eyes.

I tried to force myself to breath.

This is probably what a panic attack felt like, so many emotions and earth shaking events in just a few seconds.

But the shock helped numb my fear and finally I managed a breath.

"Kira?"

Her breathing had gotten heavier, and she looked in pain.

"Kira are you ok?"

Worry bled through the numbness as I tried to register what exactly was going on.

She doesn't look at me and doesn't respond.

Suddenly I'm very aware of the quiet in the room.

The lack of screaming.

My eyes turn towards the monster, and I really mean it when I call him a monster.

Neuro.

The man in his hands hangs as limp as a dishrag.

And Neuro is looking towards us.

I feel my grip tighten on Kira, her hands-now claws-digging into my skin.

My eyes glance back towards Yako's body.

Neuro has always depended on her so much.

How must he be feeling right now?

Was he even feeling anymore?

Did he even know what he was doing?

I glanced back up at Neuro to see him take a step towards us.

My heart missed more than a few beats.

I don't think it's a good idea to find out.

Run?

We wouldn't make it three steps.

Fight?

I doubted I could hold him off for even a second.

Suddenly my feet are no longer on the ground for the second time today, and I'm treading air.

I manage to land on my knees this time, and I look at Kira right before she closes the door in my face, locking me outside.

And herself inside.

"KIRA?!"

Only silence.

"KIRA OPEN THE FREAKIN' DOOR! GET THE HECK OUT OF THERE!"

Banging on the door doesn't even budge it.

God! Why was I so feakin' weak! I can't even break a freakin' door!

But even though it's doing nothing but cutting my hands, I can't quite seem to stop.

Kira.

* * *

**MilissaRukia: **Sorry for the cliffhanger. xP I'm so glad you enjoyed them. (^_^) I've had the ending planned since the first chapter. Well, I've added some elements though. You'll have to read this new update to see how Godai felt. O.O I didn't really explain Kira's form well, but I did have Godai call her scary-beautiful, so I figured everyone can make their own idea of what she looks like in full reverted form.  
I felt kinda bad making Neuro kill someone, but I figured it couldn't be helped. If Kira wasn't there Neuro might of actually just made the volcano explode right off. (-_-;) He doesn't think ahead much when it comes to Yako. I'm thankful for it too, and I'm glad to hear your own writing is going well. (^_^) It was very nice! Exciting to visit somewhere I've never been before. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**Nadia42: **Ahahahaha. I'm sorry for any heart failure my cliffhanger may have caused. Lol. I'm more of a laughing to myself type, and get weird looks from my family when I do it. Thank you! And I made it back safe and sound! Yay! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**teonik04: **Poor Neuro doesn't know what to do with his feelings. (^_^) *sigh* Yako really get into a lot of trouble. Anyway, hope you enjoy the update! Thank you for reading and reviewing!  
PS:Thank you!

**AnimeFreakno.1: **All should be explained for you in this update. (^_^) And thank you so much! I'm so happy you like it. (^_^) I hope she doesn't die. O.O You'll just have to read to find out. (^_^) (#^_^#) *blushes* Thank you so much! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Guest: **(#^_^#) Thank you. I rather like writing surreal thoughts like that, not that there's much opportunity to, so I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**p. ageha: **No prob! Sorry this one isn't as big... I'm so glad I'm able to. But it took a years worth of savings. xP I'm so glad you had such an awesome day! Lol. Hey, it got off to a funny start, so it's not that bad. (I may have been the class clown in my school) Woah! O.O Lotsa cool stuff happened! And drummers usually are pretty cool. (^_^) O.O I love dogs! I hope your competition went well! Did you win? I hope not too. O.O Loves! And Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**PinkutoMomo: **Don't worry about it! I"m glad I got to reply to at least one of your reviews before my story ended. Congratz! I think you did fine. (^_^) Ugh. I hate geometry. I think I forgot most of it. Ugh. Geography. Now that's a true enemy of mine.

Sorry, no sequel. But it will have a couple Omakes and epilogue so that's 'll have to read on to see what the price is. (^_^)

I'll try not to kill you, but my trigger finger gets itchy sometimes. xP Lol. Whatcha wanna bet? Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Kageryuu: **Hi! Welcome back!  
I hope they don't disappoint! Nah, it was just Kira's one and only chapter, and I remembered seeing that cool way of turning text into Thai symbols. So more of a whim then anything else.  
Yep, it's on its last legs. I'm so glad you don't find it boring! That's a huge compliment. (^_^) I tend to like Shounen type. I LOVE gintama, onepiece, Kuroshitsuji, Replica, code geass, true lies, ect. I liked death note too, but stopped reading when L died. I can't stand a tragedy, and rather would not read shounen-ai or shouji-ai type stories. I'd love to be introduced to some Manga. (^_^) Comedy is key for me, and I like action too. Thank you! And thank you for reading and reviewing!

**CornflowerBlue: **Ahahaha. I like the way you worded that. It was a bit crazy to write, and I wasn't sure I could pull it off. Lol. You'll just have to read to find out. I'm so glad you're enjoying it more and more, and hope you enjoyed the conclusion of the arc. (^_^) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

Always thankful,

9TK

**tsaurn: **Ahahaha. I just read your review on the orginal story. I'm so glad you liked it. (^_^) I'm glad you weren't bored by the slow pace, and I am truly sorry I can't write more, but it's taking over my life. Again. But I love my readers all so much I can't just leave them hanging. So I hope you enjoy the story while it lasts. I thank you so much for reading this story written by such a terrible writer such as myself. I never get used to anyone who likes it. It's always a shock to me they would enjoy reading something I wrote. So thank you so much for reading this story written by a human as poor as I, and I thank you for my promotion. (^_^)

p.s.I truly hope it doesn't disappoint. And yep, Masa is definitely dead. And I'm pretty sure his death was a horrible one. Not that it's right he was killed of course, but knowing how little Neuro thinks of humans I couldn't imagine him stopping himself. Lol. I hope this update saves both your tears and those around you's ears.

p.p.s. Lol. I'm so glad you found the continuation.

p.p.p. sunshine is greatly appreciated. (^_^) Yeah, that was more on a whim then anything. I thought it was cool all the charaters are actually Thai. I'm not very good at spelling when I'm writing quickly, and I'm often too lazy to fix it. But I hope it wasn't too distracting. I'm glad. (^_^) I try really hard not to use the same words over and over again. Have you ever read the manga? It's pretty much directly after the manga ends. I definitely didn't want Kira to be mary-sue, and hope I didn't make her all that powerful. Besides her book she has no real power on her own, and her book isn't very good for fighting. So I hoped she wouldn't get annoying. I don't know what u. stands for though... I'm glad you like the Otoutos! I found them extremely amusing. I'm glad my OC aren't annoying anyone so far. (^_^) Thank you! I think multi-perspective is one of the most interesting writing styles, and one of my fav styles to write in. Thank you so much! And thank you for taking the time to read and review. (^_^) Enjoy your meal!

**Sessho's Girl: **Eh? The Hobbit? I don't know if I've ever read that...But if I've used anything from it I'll gladly add a disclaimer.

Lol. I considered it. There were actually two endings in my head, but I chose this one. Hope you like it!I'm so glad you think every one is IC! I hope you enjoy this new up date! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Sessho's Girl: (2) **Whoops, that's less of a 'they went to England' and more of a 'the story I stole the mystery from was based in England and I forgot to change England to Japan in the letter'. Sorry... *bashful* I fear I can't change it though since I can't access my old account. Also, I didn't realize the riddles came from a book. I just remembered them from my riddle data base and they are my favorites, so that book if definitely worth a read then. (^_^) Thank you for letting me know!


	61. Ocean Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes:** **Yako's POV**.

* * *

Waves.

I can't quite hear the ocean, but I can feel it.

See it.

It's rocking me to sleep, a soft lullaby.

Warm and soft the waves rock me.

The blue water swallowing me and barely leaving me breath.

But it's still so comforting.

So warm.

So soft.

The scent of water, salt and metal.

The sound of wind.

A soft wind blows over the sea, carrying a sound with it.

One word.

A name.

My name.

Called with a familiar voice.

A familiar voice with an unfamiliar tone.

Yako.

A sad word.

And I hear a light buzz.

A buzzing bee.

Not as sad a buzz as before.

Not as urgent.

Just happy.

Happy to buzz.

The buzz grows a bit louder, not a scream this time but a whisper.

And it whispers one word.

A name.

_Neuro._

And suddenly my eyes are wide open, my vision filled with ocean blue.

A very familiar shade of blue.

"Neuro."

I manage to speak the word this time, and the blue suit pulls back to show Neuro's face.

There's no surprise on his face.

No anger.

No sadness.

No happiness.

It's the blankest I have ever seen it.

And I only get a glimpse of it before my lungs are crushed again, my face forced into the sea of blue.

"Yako."

The motion I mistook for waves was his breathing, far more labored than I had ever seen it.

I tried to pulled away.

Neuro's grip fought me but I won in the end, managing to free my nose to fill it with air.

I had a horrible headache roaring in my brain, but other than that I seemed okay.

Funny.

I could have sworn I shot myself.

Shouldn't I be dead?

Neuro's hand is suddenly on my head, and I looked up at him.

It's as emotionless as before.

I find myself wondering if he was angry.

"You should have just shot me louse." His voice comes out sounding like the voice of someone who has not spoken in years.

Or has been screaming for days.

I smiled.

"Please. As if something as little as a bullet could kill me."

Neuro smiled back, his hand on the back of my head before he was smothering me again.

"**Shoot me next time louse.**"

I smiled into his suit.

Never.

"Um, kind of an odd question." I tried to pull away again. "Exactly how am I alive?"

"A good question to ask."

Kira came through the doorway, an inhuman look about her and her clothes slightly disheveled.

For the first time I looked around the room, and I was shocked by the amount of blood in it.

"You really should be dead." Kira plopped down on the floor next to me, apparently unconcerned about the blood now seeping into her jeans.

"Where's Masa?" I felt the words leave my tongue even when I knew what the answer would be.

Neuro stiffened and Kira paused, glancing at Neuro before turning back towards me.

"Don't you want to know how you survived a bullet wound to the head?"

"Neuro, where's Masa?"

It took a moment before he looked at me.

"Dead."

The room held it's breath, and I could feel both Kira and Neuro's eyes heavily on me.

Waiting for my reaction.

What was my reaction?

I was too numb to think of it, so instead I nodded slowly.

I had known this wasn't all my blood.

I swallowed hard before looking at Neuro, his eyes meeting mine.

"Sorry." The word was soft as I said it, and I leaned forward until my lips touched his forehead.

"Sorry for making you worry. For being so weak. For making you so upset you did such a thing."

Neuro's eyes shut at the words and I buried my face into his hair. "I'm really sorry."

I could smell the blood on him.

How thick it was.

But Neuro needed me right now.

Needed comfort, not lectures or my being horrified.

I could tell from his silence just how upset he had been.

From his still strong grip how he had thought he would never speak to me again.

And I could barely think of what he had done to the person who had taken me from him.

It wasn't something I wanted to think about.

Perhaps it was a bit arrogant of me to think I meant so much to him, but his arm around me and hand gripping my arm gave me reassurance I wasn't being so full of myself after all. Just honest.

"So." I breathed in one last breath of air and hair before pulling back, Neuro opening his eyes and turning me so I sat in his lap, his arms heavy on my shoulders. "How exactly did I survive being shot in the head?"

Kira smiled. "Thanks to me of course. The Parrot was almost completely useless."

Neuro glared at her but said nothing.

"I just happened to have an orb of immense power on me, and we force fed it to you."

There was a beat of silence.

"You're going to have to run that one by me again."

I glanced at Neuro but it was Kira who spoke.

"Before my mother passed away I managed to acquire all her power and trap it in an orb-like seed of a plant. You still had a bit of life left in you when I found you, and I used the power as a medium to jump-start that life."

"So like a defibrillator for my brain?"

"More like the actual defibrillator paddles, not the electrical current itself."

"Okay, then what was the electrical current?"

Kira smiled. "Well, we had to do something a bit~ against the rules."

Like force feeding me a seed pod full of power sounded legal.

"I have a headache, make it simple."

"Ah! Sorry. Neuro had to marry you."

"TOO SIMPLE! What the heck?! You'll have to explain that bit!"

Neuro was the one who spoke this time, his voice vibrating through my back.

"When ones agree to be mates they go through a ritual to share a life span. Half of each individuals life span is given to the other. We needed that life in order to jump-start your own. However since it was done without your consent you aren't held to the commitment that comes with it."

"But the Parrot is. He can never chose another mate besides you, whether or not you accept him." Kira smiled a slightly evil smile. "Rather arrogant on his part if you ask me."

...

You've got to be kidding me.

"So basically, the par-Neuro" I knew I would make that mistake eventually, hanging around Kira was rubbing off on me. "is married to me, but I'm not married to him?"

"Basically." Kira looked like she was enjoying this a little too much.

I sighed and rubbed my head. My headache was getting worse and I couldn't quite grasp all that was being said to me.

"And you're ok with this?" I was addressing Neuro of course.

"I had already made my decision to who I wanted my mate to be, so I see no change in the situation."

Of course he didn't.

Even thought there was a huge one.

A colossal one.

But I didn't really want to think about it right now.

I mean, I had been kidnapped for the past 48 hours, drugged, died, fed a seed that came out of a dead woman, came back to life and had a husband waiting for me.

It was rather a lot to take in.

I paused.

"Wait, why am I not drugged any more? Shouldn't I be going through withdraw about now?"

"I told you we fed you an orb full of energy right?"

I blinked at Kira.

Like that explained everything.

She sighed at my blank face. "So you still have that energy stored in your body. It really won't do much to you, but if you get heavily injured or extremely scared you'll probably see the effects of it."

"Effects?"

"Such as correcting the chemical imbalance in your brain that causes withdraw. To be honest though, I'm not really sure exactly what all the effects will be. I've never fed power to a human before, so it ought to be interesting to find out."

I'm glad she found it interesting.

"And what about side effects? Surely it can't be completely safe to keep that seed thing in me."

"Well, not dangerous necessarily, but there is a side effect. Your body will need to keep the power in constant check, and because of that you'll find your body demands more energy. But because you have so much raw energy in your body already, you probably won't feel tired as often. You'll just have to keep the energy supply up."

Energy supply.

That means...I groaned.

"You have got to be freaking kidding me! Are you telling me I'm going to have to eat even more?!"

"You're going to graduate from piggish detective to elephant detective." Neuro's voice sounded of a smile as he spoke, and his hand rested on the top of my head.

"This is seriously not funny! I'm already almost constantly eat! I'm not going to have time for anything else!"

"Now now my dear Elly, no one would expect otherwise from you."

I turned to glare at him. "You are not calling me that! That's not going to be a thing!"

The smile was plastered on Neuro's face. "Come now Elly, I believe it's time to take you home."

"STOP FREAKING CALLING ME THAT!"

I couldn't quite keep from smiling back.


	62. Elephant in the Room Neuro

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Neuro's POV.

* * *

A breath.

Breathed in and out.

Thank goodness.

She was alive.

Unconscious, blood covered, but alive.

The fox next to me spoke, a relieved smile on her fanged face.

"You might want to revert back to your human form. Who knows what she'll think if the first thing she sees after nearly dying is an overgrown parrot."

I couldn't quite work up a glare, my eyes reluctant to leave Yako's face.

"You might want to do likewise. Slave number one is still banging on the door."

The fox flinched, her glare far more intense then the halfhearted one I had worked up.

"Who exactly is your slave?"

"You're going to leave him until his hands fall off then? I can already smell that he's bleeding."

The fox was looking at the door, her claws clenched in fists.

She walked towards it.

"You're not going to put on your face fox? He'll be shocked to see you without your makeup."

She didn't turn around.

"No. I'm going to have to face him knowing now, and I'd rather get it out of the way once and for all."

She took a step, hesitated before taking another.

Scared.

"He's evolved well. He's strong enough."

A smile.

"It's not _his_ strength I'm worried about Parrot. It never has been."

And she opened the door.

I focused back on Yako, her breath slowly getting more and more rhythmic.

It was almost like normally watching her sleep.

Such a fragile breath.

Such a weak heart.

Why did such an amazing mind, an amazing person have to be in such a frail container?

I ran a finger where the bullet had torn through her skull, healed but still devoid of hair.

How could such a small object destroy something so strong?

I may be in a weakened state, but I'm not so weak that such an object would seriously harm me.

How many times had I told Yako that?

That a bullet would never be strong enough to kill me.

Yet she chose not to shoot me, even when it would save her life.

Why?

I could easily have taken the bullet, and she knew it would kill her.

So why?

Why would she not just shoot?

Surely she had kept some semblance of her consciousness if she had chosen not to listen to Masa, so why shoot herself?

Did she not recognize me?

Did she not know who she was asked to shoot?

No.

I had seen a slight recognition in her eyes as she hesitated to shoot.

Why not just drop the gun? Why shoot at all?

I knew her well enough to know she wasn't going to shoot Masa, even if her was endangering her life.

But why shoot at all then?

To escape Masa's control?

The answer why didn't really matter though.

It was something she should never have done.

Something she should never had thought she had no choice but to do.

A situation she should never had gotten into.

If only I had been stronger.

Though perhaps that wouldn't have helped.

My strength should have been far enough to stop her from being taken.

I would just have to watch her closer in the future.

Keep her safer in the future.

"Yako."

I spoke the word softly, my fingers lightly brushing her hair.

"Yako."

She seemed to twitch slightly.

"Yako."

"Neuro."

Her response was muffled, and I realized I had her face completely pressed against me.

I pull her up slightly to see her face.

"Yako."

I had nothing else to say.

No other word that explained the feeling that ran through me.

Relief?

Happiness?

Anger?

None of these explained it exactly.

Or were strong enough.

She struggled to move, and I stopped her with a hand on her head.

"You should have just shot me louse."

The idiot should have just shot me.

She had the gull to smile.

"Please. As if something as little as a bullet could kill me."

_It had. _

But I couldn't stop the smile on my lips, a mix of happiness to hear her voice and amusement at her arrogance.

Her arrogance mirroring my own.

I pulled her closer.

"**Shoot me next time louse.**"

I could feel she was still smiling.

"Um, kind of an odd question. Exactly how am I alive?"

"A good question to ask."

The fox came through the doorway, and I supposed she had finished talking with slav-Godai.

Yako had pulled back again, and was looking around the room.

"You really should be dead."

"Where's Masa?"

I froze, having completely forgotten about him.

My eyes darted to the forgotten heap of flesh laying on the other side of the room, and then to the fox.

The fox's eyes met mine before she spoke. "Don't you want to know how you survived a bullet wound to the head?"

She smiled, trying to divert the question.

"Neuro, where's Masa?"

I swallowed.

The insects death meant little to me, but I knew it would mean far more to Yako.

Even though he had drugged her, committed many horrendous acts, Yako would care.

A lot.

Murder disgusted her. Horrified her. Was the epitome of revolting to her.

So how would she view the person who had just committed the act?

"Dead."

There was silence, and I held my breath.

Her head moved, nodding.

She looked at me, and I forced my eyes to meet hers.

"Sorry."

My lips parted slightly, words I didn't know trying to escape.

Only one word came to mind.

Why?

She leaned forward, her lips lightly touching my forehead.

A kiss.

I knew lips touching meant a kiss.

"Sorry for making you worry. For being so weak. For making you so upset you did such a thing."

I closed my eyes.

She didn't hate me.

However she felt about it, she didn't hate me.

Her fingers were in my hair, and her voice sounded like a song.

A lullaby.

"I'm sorry."

She had no reason to apologize.

It was my fault.

My mistake.

Yet she apologized.

The idiot was always a bleeding heart, putting others before herself.

"So." I opened my eyes as Yako pulled away.

I pulled her closer, and she turned to face the fox.

"How exactly did I survive being shot in the head?"

"Thanks to me of course. The Parrot was almost completely useless."

I glared at her, focusing on the rhythm of Yako's breath as they spoke.

The sound of her heart beat, her voice.

Sounds I thought I would never hear again.

"I have a headache, make it simple."

I glanced at where the bullet had entered again, hoping the headache was merely a temporary side-effect.

"Ah! Sorry. Neuro had to marry you."

I froze, knowing this was a bad way to break the news to Yako. And definitely not some thing she'd be pleased happened without her consent.

"TOO SIMPLE! What the heck?! You'll have to explain that bit!"

The fox did love to make this more dramatic then they were.

"When ones agree to be mates they go through a ritual to share a life span. Half of each individuals life span is given to the other. We needed that life in order to jump-start your own. However since it was done without your consent you aren't held to the commitment that comes with it."

Honestly it was the same situation as before, I had merely been waiting for Yako to accept me after all.

"But the Parrot is. He can never chose another mate besides you, whether or not you accept him. Rather arrogant on his part if you ask me."

I glared at her.

It hadn't exactly been arrogance, and I didn't need Yako anymore upset or confused then she actually was.

The fox merely smiled.

"So basically, Neuro is married to me, but I'm not married to him?"

At least Yako was lucid enough to see nothing had changed.

"Basically."

"And you're okay with this?"

I was surprised with Yako's question.

I had been the one who had made the decision after all, why would I not be okay with it?

I stated the obvious. "I had already made my decision to who I wanted my mate to be, so I see no change in the situation."

Yako was quiet, though what she was thinking I wasn't sure.

"Wait, why am I not drugged any more? Shouldn't I be going through withdraw about now?"

It seemed she had moved to a different subject.

The fox spoke. "I told you we fed you an orb full of energy right?"

Yako was silent, the stress of all she had been through apparently slowing her thought process.

"So you still have that energy stored in your body. It really won't do much to you, but if you get heavily injured or extremely scared you'll probably see the effects of it."

"Effects?"

I smiled into Yako's hair, rather amused with the conversation.

"You have got to be freaking kidding me! Are you telling me I'm going to have to eat even more?!"

Putting my chin on Yako's head I smiled as I spoke. "You're going to graduate from piggish detective to elephant detective."

"This is seriously not funny! I'm already almost constantly eat! I'm not going to have time for anything else!"

I closed my eyes, focusing on the sound. The sound of her angry voice was music to my ears.

"Now now my dear Elly, no one would expect otherwise from you."

She pulled away, and I opened my eyes as she glared at me.

"You are not calling me that! That's not going to be a thing!"

I was smiling.

"Come now Elly, I believe it's time to take you home."

"STOP FREAKING CALLING ME THAT!"

She was smiling though, and my grin grew at the sight.

I flung her over my shoulder, careful to keep her line of sight away from what was left of Masa.

"YAKO!" The second I stepped out of the room Godai stopped talking to his men, smile plastered on his face.

"YOU FREAKIN' SCARED US!" In his hurry to give Yako a hug, Godai ended up tangling me in the embrace as well.

"DON'T EVER FREAKIN' DO THAT AGAIN!" He tried to slap Yako on the back but missed, hitting me instead.

I glared at him, but he was too excited to notice.

Yako smiled back.

"I'm not planning to. Sorry for worrying you."

"You better not do it again. I'm getting grey hairs early thanks to you!"

I kept walking as he spoke, and Yako waved before we turned the corner.

"Neuro! I wanted to talk to them a bit!"

"If you get caught by the female cop then we'll never be able to leave."

It turned out the female was waiting for us outside the building.

Thankfully Jun intervened and we made it away with only ten minutes worth of words.

Yako giggled as she climbed into the car.

"Ishigaki-san knows you well huh?"

I glared at her.

"Is there a reason he shouldn't?"

Yako smiled back.

"Not at all."


	63. Fox Godai

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Godai's POV.

* * *

My palms had gone numb as I banged on the door, blood staining my already red shirt.

My mind was also numb, full of things I didn't want to think about at the moment.

I just had to focus on what was in front of me right now, and my top concern was how long Kira had been trapped in the room before me.

"KIRA!"

With battered hands I hit the door, the silence around me being almost too much to bear.

The door suddenly gave way, pulling open as Kira stood in the doorway.

She was smattered with blood.

"Are you alright?!"

I pulled her towards me, checking her over for wounds. I froze when I reached her tail, in my worry having forgotten her current state.

I swallowed hard before pulling away slightly, my eyes meeting Kira's now slitted eyes.

"I'm okay. Are you?"

Her voice was unusually soft, as if speaking to a wary stray cat.

"I'm...not injured."

To be honest, I wasn't really sure if I was okay.

"The mon-Neuro. Is he ok?"

"He's come to his senses and currently holding Yako. She's still unconscious."

"EH?! Unconscious?! She got a bullet to the head!"

"I know. But she wasn't brain dead yet so the Parrot gave some of his life to her. She'll wake up in a little bit."

The world seemed to be turning again as I smiled, so relieved I felt like sitting down. "Thank goodness."

Kira smiled, exposing her sharp teeth. "Exactly how I feel."

There was another pause as I tried to think of what to say.

"Both Neuro and you...are you human?"

Kira was silent for a moment, slightly sad eyes still watching me.

"The Parrot is not. I...am partly. My father was human."

"And your mother?"

"A...fox youkai."

It sounded impossible.

A joke.

_Fox._

And thus her nickname made sense.

"When exactly were you planning on telling me?"

Her lips moved, unable to speak.

"Were you just messing with me?! Did you think it was funny to trick me?!"

Is that why she was around me?! She thought I was a gullible fool?! Not that I could claim otherwise.

Kira's eyes widened, words finally managing to escape her. "I'm so sorry! I never once lied to you I swear, I was didn't want to scare you or drive you away! I was so afraid you'd hate me!"

Could I really believe the words of a woman who I apparently barely knew?

"So you were going to lie to me forever?!"

Trick me forever.

"NO! I was going to tell you! I honestly was! I just needed to work up the courage a bit more!" She had what looked like tears in her eyes.

I felt my breath leave at her tears, a pain worming it's way into my heart.

I didn't want her to cry.

But **GOD**!

I had trusted her!

I had given my bleedin' heart to her!

Freakin' fell in love with her!

Her face twisted slightly, perhaps seeing the pain on my own.

"_I'm so sorry._" Her voice was a whisper, pleading and sad.

Instinctively I almost reached out to pull her closer, stopping myself at the last second.

"Were you lying when you said you loved me?"

"**No.**" Her answer was instantaneous. "I love you so much. Please believ-"

Her sentence was cut off as I pulled her into a hug, and her breath hitched as we made contact.

"I love you too."

I had been slightly worried I was holding her too tight, but at my words her arms squeezed so tight I felt as if my organs were about to be forced out.

"Thank you." Her words were muffled but filled with relief.

I smiled, patting her hair.

She had no idea how relieved I had been at her answer.

"Rather an odd situation though. Does Yako know?"

Kira nodded.

Ah. That explained the loop I was out of.

"Then Neuro is half fox too?"

"Neuro isn't related to me by blood. I merely called him my brother because of our...similarity, and it's seem to have stuck." She seemed unwilling to pull away, talking into my shirt.

"What is he then?"

"Not sure. Some sort of Tengu? A rather strong one. But thankfully on earth he's at one ten thousandth of his original power."

That is one of the scariest things I had ever heard. I really hoped I never met him anywhere other than earth.

"Are you not at full power here either?"

"No, being half human means this world isn't poisonous to me."

That was slightly reassuring.

It surprised me how easily I accepted the situation. Maybe it was because I had realized long ago that neither Neuro nor Kira were normal humans.

"A-actually, I have something else to confess."

Eh?! Something else?!

"Um, when we revived Yako, I had to give up something precious to me, something I was kind of saving for you. But I made Neuro pay an exorbitant price for it."

Saving for me? Wait, price?

"What did he have to give you?"

Kira pulled her face out of my shirt, looking up at me with bright eyes.

_**"You."**_

"Eh?!"

"I made him trade you and everyone under you. You're no longer the Parrots slave."

I felt at a loss for words. That was one thumb I'd never thought I was going to get out of.

"Wait, does that make me your slave?"

She thought for a moment, glancing at me out of the corner of her eye.

"Donno. Do you want to be?"

"E-EH?!"

She was suddenly very close, leaning towards me as she spoke.

"You don't?"

Her lips met mine before I could answer, and I lost track of time until she pulled away again.

"Well, I think I prefer being on the same level as you myself." She was grinning as she spoke, eyes never leaving mine.

She sighed as she forced herself out of my arms, my hands pulling away from areas I didn't know they had strayed in. "Yako just woke up. I figure I should be there to explain somethings to her. Do you mind waiting out here until she comes out? I have a feeling she's going to have a lot to discuss with the Parrot."

I nodded dumbly, faintly hearing my men approaching in the hall behind us.

I had some things to tie up anyway.

.

.

.

"Married?!"

Kira looked surprised by my out burst. "Only the parrot. He technically can't touch Yako since it wasn't consensual."

"But still! Married?! Is Yako ok with this?!"

"She seemed fine."

I sighed.

I hoped she was.

I glanced out of the car window and up at the sky.

"The ash seems to have stopped falling. Maybe it was just a false alarm?"

"M-maybe."

My gaze turned towards her.

"You had something to do with this didn't you?"

She flinched, pausing before answering.

"J-just a little prank. You know, to make it look like the volcano was going to erupt-Nothing serious! Just to get Masa to reveal his location."

I didn't want to think about exactly how they had managed to pull that off.

"Well, at least it worked."

"Of course it worked. The Parrot and I planned it after all."

I frowned. Knowing the two weren't really related annoyed me a bit. I didn't like how much time they spent together or how well they seemed to understand each other.

"I see."

Kira's still fox-like ears perked up.

"You're upset? I don't think it did much damage."

"I'm not upset about the volcano, though it wouldn't have killed you to tell me the truth from the start. I just don't like seeing my fiancee so chummy with some other guy."

Kira thought about this before breaking into a wide smile.

"Is that so~." She leaned closer.

"Then I'll be careful not to get too close to other guys if you don't get too close to other women. There's a few that have been annoying me recently and I was considering what to do to get rid of them."

"Eh?! You can't go around just getting rid of people!"

_**"You won't?"**_

Kira leaned even closer with these words, and I struggled to focus on the road with her practically sitting on me.

The fox.


	64. Meaning Yako

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Yako's POV.

* * *

I was seriously hungry.

I hadn't stopped eating since we had gone back to the house.

My mom had been waiting for me, crying and thankful I was ok.

The look of shock on her face when she first saw me scared me though.

Not having taken time to look in a mirror, I hadn't realized just how covered in blood I was.

Neuro, of course, had fixed his clothes by this time, so I looked like I had killed ten men all on my own.

And after eating my weight in whatever we had in the fridge, I was still hungry.

My mom kept asking me questions the whole time I ate, and for once I was thankful for Neuro answering for me.

After dinner my mom insisted I go to bed, sure I would be exhausted after such an ordeal.

Actually, I wasn't all that tired.

Tired of being around people perhaps, but not really sleepy.

But she wouldn't hear a word of it, kicking Neuro out of the house and stuffing me into my room.

I had barely put on my PJs when I turned around to find Neuro on my ceiling.

I turned off the light and climbed into bed.

Neuro didn't say a word, his green eyes watching me as I pulled the covers up to my neck.

"Crazy day huh?"

Neuro didn't smile at my attempt at a joke.

I wondered if I was about to my scolding for getting kidnapped. It wasn't really my fault this time though, unless you count leaving the doors unlocked. But I didn't think locked doors would have stopped Masa anyway.

A hand reached down, barely touching my hair.

"Don't do anything like that every again louse. Don't worry about me, I'm strong enough with out your worry. Don't take risks. Stay safe. Stay where I can reach you."

The same cracked voice from earlier.

"It's my job to worry about you."

My words felt loud in the quiet of the room.

"I'm probably the only one who ever will. This job requires I take risks, and I can't expect you to follow me everywhere. I'm sorry, but I can't make that promise. I'm not sure I won't break it."

I reached up, my arm too short to reach Neuro, but trying to anyway.

"I wouldn't trade this life for a moment though. Not a single second of it, so don't ask me to. But we can make a deal if you want."

Neuro leaned forward, letting my finger tips brush the ends of his hair.

"I'll do my best to not worry if you don't worry too much about me. I'll take less risks if you promise not to take risks too. I'll try my best to stay safe as long as you promise to be safe too. And I promise to stay with you as much as possible if you promise to stay with me. Is it a deal?"

"I promise."

I smiled. "Then it's a deal."

My fingers lightly hit the batteries in Neuro's hair, causing them to bounce off one another with an odd clink sound.

"Do you know what trial mates call it when they agree to be with each other forever?"

Neuro paused, his fingertips no longer in my hair as he considered the question.

"What do they call it louse?"

Of course he wouldn't admit he didn't know.

"Engaged."

Neuro nodded, not understanding the meaning of this. Not that I expected him to anyway.

"Are we still trial mates then?"

"We're one step up from that. We're fiancees."

Neuro sighed. "Humans have so many rituals for such a simple process."

I laughed softly. "Because to humans it's one of the most important decisions of their lives."

"More like they're indecisive about it."

I couldn't completely disagree with that.

There was a moment of silence.

"I'm sorry. That you had to give half your life span to me. It's almost completely halved now isn' it? My own life span was probably too little to make much of a difference."

Neuro looked surprised at my apology. "I suppose. But if I had the rest of my life span you won't be alive for it. What would the point of that be?"

Said so simply.

So matter-of-factually.

As if it was a given.

I felt myself move automatically; pulling myself up, first sitting on my bed then standing. I shut my eyes as my lips brushed Neuro's, a soft and faint kiss. A kiss that had eaten all of my courage.

I felt my nerves shake slightly as I pulled back, Neuro's eyes on mine as I sat back down on the bed.

My every nerve and brain cell was focused on Neuro.

Waiting for his reaction.

"Exactly what is the purpose of a kiss? Not to share food apparently."

Neuro was completely unaffected by it.

I found myself laughing, more at my nerves then at the situation.

What in the world was I so nervous for? Not like Neuro would understand anyway.

Neuro's eyes narrowed, thinking I was laughing at him, but he waited for my answer.

My laughter faded to a smile.

"You kiss someone to show how much you love them."

Neuro thought about that.

"Then how much did your kiss say you loved me?"

My smile grew. "Very, very much."

He nodded, leaning down until his lips touched mine, copying the same kiss I had given him.

"Then mine means the same does it not?"

I smiled up at the man above me.

The crazy, arrogant, vain, possessive, brilliant, childish, other-worldly man sitting on my ceiling.

The man I loved.

"Yeah, it means the same."

Thank god he loved me back.


	65. Authors Note

Please check out the new pics uploaded on my deviant art account. HoneyBeeMelissa is absolutely amazing! balanceofpuzzles. deviantart. com

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**Authors Note:**

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**Hello. This is not a chapter nor is it conducive to the story line, so please feel free to skip this if you don't want to read it.** I definitely wouldn't want to bore you to death when there's only a few chapters to go. If you chose to read on-whatever your reasons for doing so might be-I thank you!

Writing this story has been both challenging and a lot of fun! I know I'm not a very good author, but I hope you find enjoyment from my story anyway. I've had so many amazing people cheer me on and post such such kind things about my story I'm nearly driven to tears! I hope with all my heart my story has brought them at least 1/10th the happiness they have given me! Thank you every single person who has ever taken the time to read my story. And I thank even more so those who did me the honor of leaving a review.

For personal reasons I will not be writing on this site anymore. I'm truly sorry my story was so short, but I really need to get my life back together and I can't do that while I'm writing. But at least I got to finish this story, I hope you can be satisfied with that.

For every person who as ever read my story or who will read it in the future I thank you with all my heart for reading something I have written. I'm an continuously amazed anyone would want to read something as terrible as what I have written, and even more so when they tell me they enjoyed it. I can not thank you enough, and ask that you please overlook my bad grammar and spelling-not to mention my horrible writing. Thank you again. I will forever feel blessed to have such amazing people as you read my story. Thank you so much for your time and support.  
May your lives be happy and may you continue in your kindness.

Sincerely,

9TailedKitsune

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**Answers to Questions: **

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**Is it really over? **Yes, my story is over. I will not be writing again on this site nor will there be anymore updates. I thank you so much for reading this far!

**Wait, so did Yako shoot the gun in chapter 57? **Yep, that was Yako. She shot herself because she knew if she didn't do something she would end up shooting Neuro and she wasn't sure what condition he was in. So she did the only thing she could think of-shoot herself.

**What was the buzzing sound Yako heard in chapter 57? **The buzzing sound that was quoted as being 'a really familiar voice' was Yako's own. I was trying to replicate that feeling you get when something in your head is telling you something isn't right when you're under a lot of stress. The feeling of something sounding really loud and almost silent at the same time, when afterwards you realize you saw the problem all along. Sorry I didn't do a good job explaining it.

**Why is there a plain text version of Kira and a weird text version? **Well, that's because I can. I thought the weird text one looked cool, so I couldn't stop myself from posting it. But I knew it would annoy some people so I posted a plain text version too.

**Do Kanae and Bandana end up together? **No idea. It's up to you to decide. (^_^)

**Do Jun and Shizuka ever find out the truth about Neuro? How about Kanae or Yako's mom? **Jun definitely does. Not that he cares. Yako's mom does in my mind, and Kanae never does. It's just right that way. I have no idea about Shizuka. I leave it up to you.

**Hope that answers all your questions!**

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**Notes to Reviewers:  
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**All Reviewers Past and Present**: Thank you. Seriously, Thank you. Not only for taking the time to read my story, but for caring enough to post a review. Thank you so much. I feel so honored I can't even express it! Getting to know each one of you-some better then others-has been a real joy and a privilege. May you enjoy what you read!

**Nadia42: **Thank you so much! I loved my trip! I had a blast! I hope you enjoy this ending! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing to the end!

**AnimeFrealNo.1: **Sorry to make you wait again! Hope it was worth it! Lol, she wasn't just quite yet. But yep, they def both love each other! This will be my last update. I hope you like it. (^_^) Thank you so much! And thank you for reading and reviewing!

**Sessho's Girl: **This is all of the story. Hope you liked it! Ah! I didn't know. I have no idea where I heard those riddles before...Maybe I'll pick it up. (^_^) Thanks for the recommendation! And thank you so much for reading and reviewing until the end!

**NaMei: **Yep! Tho this is my last appearance. Thank you! And nope, not enough story left for me to fall into that folly. And sorry, no more climaxes. This is it. I hope you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**teonik04: **Yay! I'm glad you liked it so much! I'm sorry, both for not updating soon and for this being my last update. Thank you so very much! You are one of the reviewers I recognize in an instant, and I'm always happy to read your reviews. I'm so happy you found this story! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing to the end!

**lunabloodmoon666: **I'm so glad you enjoyed it! (^_^) I hope is was a decent ending! And I hope you enjoy the bonus chapters too! THank you so much for reading and reviewing!

**MilissaRukia: **Thank you! I tried to imagine what it would be like to be a somewhat normal person who went through what he did. Yeah, Godai knew something was up. He probably would have figured it out himself if he wasn't just a bit of an idiot. I would love to see how you picture Kira! If you ever do draw her plz post a link here. I'll check back once in a while. Yeah, I couldn't picture Neuro coming out and saying it. I like those moment too. I feel like I'm truly in touch with the characters in those moments. Thank you for all your reviews at once. (^_^) Thank you so much for reading and reviewing to the end!

**PinkutoMomo: **It's not quite but close. Hope you enjoy the update! I'm glad you like her! I tried not to make her to intricate to the plot, but I can never control my characters. I'm SO glad she's not Mary-Sueish. Mary-Sue characters are one of my biggest pet-peeves. Aw! Thank you so much! All the characters have become part of me, so every time one of them is complimented I feel like I'm the one receiving it. (^_^) I did make some random one-shots. I considered making one about Bandana too, but I figured it would be a bit off topic.  
I could never quite get geography. I'm map challenged. Stick me in the middle of the woods and I could get out, but if there's streets I can't for the life of me. Lol. I don't much like Geometry either. I was bored for some reason.

I'm glad you like Godai's POV. I haven't had him talk in awhile, so I hope I was able to capture his voice ok. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing to the end!

**Guest: **Aw! Thank you! That sentence was enough to bring a smile to my face! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

**soshi185: **I'm afraid it is my friend. I recognize you from my first story balance. You were a regular reviewer then too. Thank yo so much for sticking with me for so long! I am too. I was really planning to for awhile. I did stretch his character a bit, but I'm glad you don't find him OOC. I tried not to let him break out. (^_^) Thank you! I hope the change wasn't too sudden. Aw! I'm surely not, but I can't stop smiling from your compliment. (^_^)

Yay! THANK YOU! I tried to tie everything up nicely, and this was a far greater compliment then you can possibly know! In your honor I have shown a bit of the wedding, but my fingers wouldn't let me write more. Sorry! Thank you so much for being such a faithful reader and reviewer and bearing with me to the end! Please be happy in the years to come!

**Mimi MC: **I find it very amusing that you comment on ever chapter. I think it's cool to get to know how you viewed each one of them and how you felt at each one. Thank you so much for providing such a unique perspective! Thank you so very much for taking the time to read and review!

**guest: **Oh my goodness! Thank you so very much! You're very kind, and I hope you enjoy the following chapters too! Thank you for reading and reviewing!

* * *

**Special thanks to Nomaen. You've always been there for me and I will miss you dearly. **


	66. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Yako's POV.

* * *

The time had come, and I closed my eyes.

I was not looking forward to this.

I grabbed Neuro's hand, and he peered bemusedly at my pale and sweating face.

"Now, my louse, you were the one who wanted this."

I glared at him, knowing this was all his fault in the first place.

I took a deep breath.

"Mom?"

She turned from her cooking to face me, and from the live mouse in her hand it looks as if I had saved it's life.

"Can you please put the mouse down so we can talk?"

The mouse was placed on the table, and it was instantly gone. I would have run that fast too if I had been in it's situation.

"What's the matter honey?" She glanced from Neuro and back to me. "Are you pregnant? Because it's getting far more common now a days for brides to walk down the isle with a child in their stomach."

"What the heck?! No! I'm not pregnant!"

Neuro chuckled, his arm draped across my shoulders. "Do you want me to fix that?" His voice was too soft for my mom to hear, but I glared at him anyway. He always had to tease me when I'm freaked out about something, didn't he.

"Don't tell me you're getting cold feet before your wedding day! I know Neuro-san definitely hasn't."

If anything the jerk was pushing the wedding date earlier. All the planning annoyed him.

"No, I'm still getting married to Neuro. It's...just I felt I should tell you something first."

My mom looked worried. "Tell me something? You're not pregnant, not getting cold feet, you don't have another lover or something do you?!"

Neuro's grip on my shoulder tightened, and he glanced at me. "I would never allow Yako to do such a thing Mother~! I will make sure she doesn't have any room in in brain for any males besides me~!" The pain in my shoulder was certainly focusing all my attention on him.

"Why do you always think I'm the bad one?!" I forced myself to calm down before speaking again.

"What I'm about to say is going to sound completely insane, but I ask you to please listen with an open mind before speaking."

My mom nodded, her eyes wide and lips clenched.

"Remember how I met Neuro around the time dad died? That wasn't a coincidence. Neuro is a youkai that eats puzzles, and he was attracted to the scent of the puzzle of dad's death at the time. He's really the one who solves all the cases I take, and he's not exactly the person you think he is."

With trembling lips my mother stared at me, one second before she burst out laughing.

"That's ridiculous! I can't believe you really thought you could pull off such a far fetched joke!"

Her laughter filled the kitchen and I wondered if I should just forget the whole thing. Not to mention Neuro looked extremely amused.

"Please Yako, I may have been the one who solved all the cases in the beginning, but you've come a long way from being the little school girl that followed me around."

Less like followed more like dragged.

My mom was still laughing. "And that even you would be willing to go along with this joke! You never cease to amaze Neuro-san!"

I had known this wouldn't be easy, but after Godai's reaction I had expected more from my mom.

"Oh this is rich! I'm going to have to tell Kanae-chan about this one!"

I pinched my eyes, trying to decide what to do.

"Do you want me to transform?"

Neuro whispered the words, still looking pleased at my troubled expression.

"No, if my mom's going to be strong in her denial I minds well wait until after the wedding. I don't want her to try to stop it or anything." I sighed, squeezing Neuro's hand as I thought. "We'll see if she still doesn't believe me when she gets a look at her mutant grandchildren."

Neuro was smiling again, and pulled me closer as he spoke. "I'll be happy to help in the making of them as soon as you like."

I couldn't quite make my glare as angry as I'd liked, slightly red from a blush. "Yeah, yeah."

My mom was still laughing.

.

.

.

"I was laughing so hard!" Kanae-chan was rather loud in the quiet cafe we were seated in, and I tried to shush her.

"Will you stop it already?!" I hissed as I glanced around at the staring eyes surrounding us.

"Please! Nogami-san?! A youkai?!" She was laughing again and I looked down at my empty plate.

"So you told her huh?" Kira gnawed on a bone before swallowing it whole, too excited to bother chewing it. "I'm really impressed Yako. I thought you'd just try to hide it forever."

"Not you too Kira!" Kanae-chan was still laughing.

"I thought she had a right to know, but I could care less now. I'll just deal with it when it comes to it."

"Ok, ok, enough of this joke. I gotta ask Yako, how in the WORLD did you get enough money for a wedding on such a large scale?! There has to be at least a thousand people coming, not to mention the news coverage."

"I managed to get the reception down to four hundred at least. Though the food order is for about a thousand, but it still helped with the price."

"And of course Godai and I chipped in as well, with it being our little sister's big day and all."

Actually, they chipped in because Kira insisted on drawing the clothes and buildings for the wedding. And after Neuro had told me what price she pays after using the Book of Thoughts I was dead set against it. Godai had settled the argument by forbidding Kira to use the book and forcing me to let him buy the items Kira wanted to make. And apparently when he meant 'buy' he meant 'buy the actual building and the block it's on as well'. The Yakuza business had been booming ever since Kira had teamed up with him, and he was eager to spend his slightly ill gotten gains.

"Uwah~! So lucky~! You'll chip in for my wedding too right Kira~!"

I cringed at Kanae-chan's selfishness, but Kira merely smiled. "As long as you marry Maiko I will. You'd be part of my family then after all."

Yeah, part of your _yakuza _family, and Maiko-san had been rising in the ranks.

Kanae-chan smiled back. "Maiko said he had something important to tell me after Yako-chan's wedding. Maybe it's a marriage proposal~!"

More likely it was fessing up that he was a yakuza.

Kira turned back towards me. "Shinobu wanted me to give this to you." She handed me a wedding dress catalog. "He thought it would be a good idea for you to try on some dresses."

Kanae-chan squealed. "We're totally going with you! I am your Maid of Honor after all, and Kira would know what Nogami-san's taste is! Not to mention you need moral support!"

I forced a smile. "Can't I just pick something out of the catalog?"

"NO! WAY! You _**have**_to try these things on first! And since Kira's man here is sporting the bill you can get any dress you like!"

"That's not how it work-" "Don't worry about it. Shinobu won't mind. He's already pleased to death he's going to be the one walking you down the isle."

And thus I was forced to try on dresses for the next five hours.

.

.

.

"You were gone rather long today." Neuro lay on the ceiling above me, my eyelids too heavy for me to maintain eye contact for long.

"Yeah, Kanae-chan made me try on far too many wedding dresses. I completely understand why you get so annoyed at all this ceremony."

An unseen hand stroked my hair. "We could always just climb out the window and put that human paperwork through tonight."

I smiled, my eyes still shut. "That would make all my hard work in vain. It's just a few more days, I think I can manage."

"Just because you can doesn't mean I can louse. Think of someone other than yourself for once."

I snorted. "You're in that much of a hurry to marry me huh?" "The sooner the world knows you're my property the better." "Yeah yeah."

Typical Neuro.

"And Jun is insisting I go to what he calls a 'Bachelor party" at his cafe tomorrow. He says it's his responsibility as my best man to do so. It's not something I'm looking forward to."

"Please, Jun-san knows you well enough. He'll probably come up with something you'll actually somewhat not hate."

His hand was in my hair again. "One can always hope my louse."

I forced my eyes open.

"You think if my mom walked in here right now she'd believe the fact you're a youkai?"

"She'd probably just wonder how you managed to glue me to the ceiling."

"Tch. Why am I always the bad one?!"

I tried to get my eyelids to stay up.

"Sorry she didn't believe us. Are you upset?"

"We'll just have to show her the mutant grandchildren quickly, won't we?"

"Neuro!" I was smiling, and my hand reached up towards him, unable to touch him but still trying.

He leaned forward until my fingertips were just able to touch the batteries in his hair. He seemed pleased with how I stretchered to reach his actual hair.

"I suppose we'll be staying at my house after the mate ceremony."

"For the last time it's called a marriage ceremony!"

"Marriage ceremony. You'll be staying there too?"

"Of course. We did discuss this you know."

He nodded. "Am I still going to be sleeping on the ceiling there?"

I paused, eyelids suddenly much lighter. "Do you want to?"

"I somewhat miss the few times I was able to sleep on a feather filled sack."

"I'll be sleeping on it too ya know. You won't have it all to yourself."

"Hmm. I suppose I'll have to put up with your presence. I should get used to it, after all I'm stuck with you from now on."

"I almost feel bad for you, if it wasn't for the fact I'm stuck with you too. We'll just have to deal with it I guess."

A smile was on Neuro's face. "I suppose I'll just have to accept my fate of being by your side forever. I suggest you do the same, for you won't be getting rid of me anytime soon."

I laughed softly, my smile mirroring Neuro's.

"I knew that much already."

With a light squirm I sunk into the cozy sheets, smiling up at my husband-to-be.

"Have fun at the Bachelor party tomorrow."

And I was immediately smothered by my pillow.


	67. Epilogue 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Neuro's POV. Dedicated to soshi185.

* * *

A smile found it's way on my face as I pushed lightly on the door with one finger. Yako was on the other side of it struggling with all her might to keep the door shut.

"NEURO! The groom isn't supposed to see the bride before the wedding!"

"You've been primping for the past three hours louse, you're not going to get any better."

"That doesn't change the fact you're not allowed in!"

A sound that sounded rather like a kick resonated through the door.

I considered returning the kick, but to her stomach.

Hmm, probably a bad idea. She was being rather obstinate about my entering the room, and she had been on pins and needles all week.

My finger ran along the wood, Yako's angry voice filling my ears.

She was always especially bright when she was angry, both her conviction and voice rising the angrier she got.

"NEURO ARE YOU LISTENING?!"

I was, but that wasn't something she needed to know.

"I'm sorry, were you talking? I thought I heard an insect's buzz."

"NEURO!"

I chuckled as I let the door slam shut, moving a chair to seal Yako inside.

"Fine, I'll wait for you at the stage as you said. Don't you go running off now. It'll be bothersome to stay in one place and hunt you down at the same time. Bothersome but not impossible."

"Yeah, yeah. If you really thought I'd run I'd have a chain around my neck."

I couldn't exactly claim otherwise.

I hummed to myself as I walked down the hall way.

.

.

.

"The poor groom. To think such a kind man would be left at the altar." The voice came from one of the police officers Yako and I had often worked with on cases, and someone who obviously didn't know either Yako or me well enough to know this wasn't the case. I could hear her struggling to force the door open all the way from here.

And she was screaming some rather rude things as well.

There was a crash, loud as a siren to me but too far away for the others in the room to hear, and a patter of feet as Yako ran down the halls.

She had murder in her step, and I smiled as she forced herself calm at the door, trying to appear a happy bride before the eight foot doors were swung open.

And she stood, a slightly forced smile on her lips and rays of death boring into me from her eyes.

How cute.

Her walk down the aisle was much faster then it had been in the rehearsal, and the piano player had to speed up the tempo to keep up with her.

And then she was standing next to me, a heel-hidden by her dress-digging into my foot. Well, resting on it anyway, for even with her pressing with all her strength it was like a bug had landed on my shoe.

"_I am going to kill you as soon as every one's back is turned." _Her voice was a hiss, and the justice of the peace was the only one who heard it. He looked rather startled.

I leaned towards her slightly, my voice softer than hers as I replied. "_My, how eager my little louse is. We're not even married. Shouldn't you save such talk for our wedding night?"_

Her heel dug in deeper.


	68. Epilogue 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

* * *

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess.

_And by beautiful princess she means slightly pretty pig princess. _

Shut up! I'm telling the story! Now, this beautiful princess was very sad. Her father the king had been killed, and she knew not what to do.

_And so a handsome knight came to save the princess. _

I think you meant to say a evil troll.

_Fine, but then the princess is a hideous elephant princess. _

And so the handsome knight helped the beautiful princess find the man who had killed her father. But the princess wasn't satisfied with just that. She wanted to bring to justice all those who had killed other peoples fathers.

_Not all of them were fathers. _

But they all had relatives that loved them.

_No, not all. _

Fine. None of them deserved to die.

_Actually, some of them-_

I'm telling the story! So the handsome knight helped her to find them all. The end.

.

.

.

"Um, that was a terrible story."

"There wasn't even a real plot line."

"And there was no mystery in it either."

"Hey, just cause there's no mystery doesn't mean that it's a bad story. Help me out here Neuro."

"I rather agree with the children."

"Oi! I'm your wife you better agree with me!"

"But you're not right mom!"

"Neuro!"

"You're mother is always right children, unless what she says disagrees with what I say. Then I'm the one who's right."

_**"Neuro."**_

_****_"Fine. Don't ever question whether your mother is right again, even when it's obvious she's wrong."

"How does that make any sense?"

"Just do as I say or your mother will eat you again."

"HEY! I NEVER ONCE ATE THEM?!"

"Then explain to me exactly how they got in your stomach in the first place louse."

"This is not the time to be teaching the children about the facts of life."

"I told you she ate you."

"MY WORD! You see children, when a man and woman love each other vary much-"

"So you love me very much do you my louse?"

"Hey! I'm trying to teach the children something important!"

"They can learn by example can't they?"

"_GET OUT! NOW!"_

__*SLAM*

"So, I'll explain it later. Your father and I will be away on business trip tomorrow so Uncle Godai and Aunt Kira will be watching you for the next few days."

"Mmmoooomm! I love Uncle Godai but Aunt Kira scares me!"

"She doesn't scare me you wimp."

"Aunt Kira would never let you die, so you don't need to be afraid of her. Now go to sleep. I have to talk to your father."

"You're just going to forgive him again."

"Yeah, but I'm going to make him wish he never angered me first. Now go to bed."

*CREAK* *SLAM*

...

"Mom's really scary sometimes too isn't she?"


	69. Omake 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Yako's POV.

* * *

I glanced up from the news paper in my hands, looking at Neuro who looked completely enthralled with the computer his eyes were glued to.

The office was empty, and I rubbed my head as the words on the newspaper in front of me swam together.

I was bored.

It had been awhile since we had so much peace, and I found I wasn't used to it.

How had I managed to sit quietly holding a newspaper before?

Wasn't I famous enough to have people do that for me?

But Neuro insisted those people wouldn't be able to spot a real mystery.

So here I was searching my fiftieth newspaper of the day in the tenth different language so far.

I admit it helped refresh my memory of those languages, but it was a rather grueling task.

I looked back up at Neuro, and he sensed my eyes and met them.

"Something the matter sloth?"

I held back another sigh.

Right.

This was for Neuro.

Poor starving Neuro...as non-pitiful as he looked...he was still starving on the inside.

My eyes managed to snap back in focus on the page.

A mystery, any mystery so he could have a meal.

After having rather psyched myself up for the work ahead of me, I reached for the next paper in an eleventh language.

Neuro's hand over my face blocked my view.

"You didn't answer me louse."

I struggled to free myself from his grasp.

"Nothing...is...wrong..." I fought his grip with every word, knowing it was hopeless.

It always was.

Neuro's hand dug deeper into my scalp and cheeks as he turned my head to face him.

"Then why are you staring at my face and sighing?"

"I just got a bit distracted and all, ya know, my mind was wandering. But I'm focused again! So I'll get back to work!"

I wasn't released.

"You were distracted by my face?"

His face was suddenly level to mine, and the hand on my head loosened slightly.

"Just my thoughts."

"Which led you to my face?"

He was obviously digging for the answer he wanted.

Even if it wasn't true.

"It's not like there's anyone else in the room."

I barely had time to brace myself as I flung across the room, smiling to myself before I hit the wall.

Neuro probably didn't even register that had been a joke.

Well, it definitely killed my boredom.

.

.

.

Despite my renewed enthusiasm, I didn't find a mystery.

Neither did Neuro, who had been in a bad mood all day.

He didn't even bother to smile at the receptionist as we left the office, and almost caused at least six car accidents on the way home.

Upon arriving home, I barely got my seat belt off before I went flying through the front door.

With a cartwheel I landed on my feet in the middle of the living room.

"About time you showed up!"

An arrogant looking woman sat in the chair before me, arms and legs crossed.

"I'm shocked at how long you can wander this dingy planet for!"

I realized the blonde woman wasn't even looking at me, but instead looking over my shoulder at Neuro.

I straightened.

A friend of his?

Turning to see his face I doubted this was the case.

He looked downright angry.

"And who said you could enter my home?"

"Your home?! This trash heap?!" The woman snorted. "How far you have fallen!"

Did this witch just call my house a trash heap?!

"What the heck?! You can't just barge into someone's home and insult it! Get the freakin' heck out!"

I may have been spending too much time around Godai.

The woman finally seemed to register my presence.

"Your slave is rather loud mouthed. Don't you know how to discipline them?"

**"I asked you a question."**

Time seemed to stop as I heard Neuro speak, and I didn't need to turn around to know he was furious.

"E-eh?"

The woman's arrogance fled her, and she was practically shaking in fear.

**"Who said you could enter my home?"**

The woman's lips moved with no words to go with them, her eyes wide and shoulders shaking.

I sighed.

It had been a long day of fruitless effort.

"Calm down Neuro, she's not going to able to answer you when she's this freaked out."

The woman's eyes darted at me and back to Neuro again, flinching slightly as Neuro twitched at my words.

Neuro's claws were still out, and I wondered if he was considering what I had said.

Tired of the tension in the room I grabbed one of his claws, spreading it out a bit with my fingers.

"Neuro?"

Neuro's eye's finally met mine, and with a hiss he sheathed his claws.

The woman jumped as he did.

"Thank you." I smiled up at his annoyed face.

Annoyed was a huge improvement from angry.

I turned to smile at the woman.

"So, I'm Yako Katsuragi, What's your name?"

"Y-Yokoshima..."

"Well, Yokoshima-san, do you mind telling us what you're doing here?"

"Why didn't he kill you?"

Huh?

"Eh?"

"Why didn't Nogami-sama kill you?"

I glanced at Neuro, the annoyed look still plastered on his face.

"Why would he?"

Yokoshima-san's eyes widened.

"B-because you spoke back to him not even using an honorific, you ordered him around and even touched him!"

I was sure my face looked dumbfounded.

"Um, I didn't really mean to do the first two, and he's probably annoyed I did, and I don't think he'd care about the last one."

Yokoshima-san's face suddenly twisted angry.

"Of course he'd be disgusted when such disgusting filth touched him! How dare you even think to-!"

She broke out into coughing, and the room was awkwardly silent as Neuro and I waited for her to catch her breath.

Which took awhile.

"You ok?"

I glanced around the room for a tissue or something.

"She's fine. It's just the poison air of this world."

Neuro's voice was bored, and without pity.

Yokoshima-san's eyes flashed as Neuro spoke.

"A disgusting world which isn't fit for me to be in! And yet I traveled all this way and defeated all my rivals because of a foolish rumor I've been hearing!"

I glanced at Neuro and back.

"Rumor?"

"And now I'm being looked down on by a worthless insect of a slave! Is this any way for your future mate to be treated?!"

Neuro's reaction was instantaneous, his claw crushing the sniveling woman's neck.

**"I have no need for such a disgustingly pathetic creature forcing herself on me."**

Yokoshima-san cough and sputtered, trying to speak as her eyes bulged.

"Oi, don't go leaving a dead body in the room."

I probably should have been more sympathetic, but I wasn't feeling it.

Neuro dropped her and turned towards me. "You look unaffected."

"By what? You're almost killing her or her claim to be your future mate? I trust you enough to know you won't go leaving a dead body in my house, and I'm not worried about the second part at all. Why should I be? Should I be seething in jealousy? You asked me to be your mate, and I trust you enough to know you didn't have another one in mind."

Neuro nodded, a half evil smile on his face.

"So the rumors are true then?! You did ask a pitiful human to be your mate?!"

Yokoshima-san pulled herself up, her voice hoarse.

"She's far smarter than you are, and far worthier."

Neuro sat back down next to me.

"I insist on a death battle! I have the right to challenge any mate rival I may have!"

"**And I have the right to choose to fight instead if it's the mate I chose. So you wish to fight me then?"**

Yokoshima-san shrank back.

"You would go so far?!"

I rubbed my head where a headache was forming.

"Listen up lady, I don't know you, or how much you love Neuro. But he chose me, so I get dibs."

Yokoshima-san gaped at me. "The impertinence?!" with a bound she reached for me with her twisted hands that slightly resembled claws.

But instead she fell flat on her face.

Neuro planted a foot directly on her head. "I see you followed me in ripping into this world. It's a lot more draining than you thought, isn't it? You're so weak in this world you have less strength than a human, though I suppose it's amazing you managed to survive at all with such a pitiful amount of power."

The woman mumbled something I couldn't quite hear into the carpet, but Neuro seemed to have no problems understanding her.

"I told you didn't I? This human is far more worthy than you could possibly hope to be. So go back, and let those so called rivals of yours know if anyone else appears I will be the one to fight to the death with them-not Yako. And we'll see if they have any desire to come here."

He snorted as he lifted his foot, releasing her and kicking her at the same time.

And she scurried out the door as fast as she could.

I smiled as I sat down next to Neuro, my headache forgotten.

"Who knew you were such a ladies man. To think such a pretty lady was head over heels for you."

And yet he had chosen me. My smile was too big to fit on my face, and I knew it didn't completely express my happiness.

Neuro glanced at me before smacking my face into the couch. "She doesn't."

"Eh?" I coughed and tried to sit up to face Neuro, but his hand kept me eating the couch.

"You told her you didn't know how much she loved me. She doesn't."

I kicked out this time, and when my foot made contact with his chest he loosened his grip, letting me up for air. I gasped for a minute before replying.

"But she fought so many people just to be with you, and she came all this way. How could you know she doesn't love you?"

"Because that's not how it works. The strongest female gets the strongest male, that's just how it goes. And that woman fancied herself the strongest so decided to get me to prove it. Love had nothing to do with it."

I was silent at his words. He couldn't be serious, that being the only reason she had come. And yet watching his face as he spoke left no doubt he meant what he said.

"Sorry, you ended up with such a weak human in the end." I leaned on his shoulder, and his eyes met mine. "At least this human really loves you though."

Neuro snorted, his breath brushing the ends of my hair. "My, my. What a bargain. Not only have I managed to snag such a strong wife, she really loves me as well."

He bent down until his lips brushed my forehead. "I guess the only option left for me is to love her in return. Otherwise who knows what she'll do to me."

I couldn't hold back my smile.

"If you dared to try to leave I would just have to starve you to death. So you'll just have to be a good parrot and stick around."


	70. Omake 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Yako's POV. Dedicated to HoneyBeeMelissa.

* * *

_**"PLEASE!"**_

"Kanae-chan, I really don't want to! Please don't make me!"

"I swear I'll never ask you to again! Just his once!"

I sighed, considering my options.

"I really don't think Neuro will say yes."

"Nogami-san?! Sure he will! He'll be tickled pink to do anything you ask him to! I mean, you guys just got engaged, he'll be dying to do anything to please his new fiancee!"

Kanae-chan pulled my hand to her as she spoke, smiling down at my deep purple sugilite ring.

I was just glad it didn't eat any other males that got within two feet of me like the ring Neuro wanted me to wear. I had finally managed to convince him that would be extremely inconvenient for my job.

"Yako~chan! Please! I'm so nervous! It'll make me feel so much better if you come too!"

Kanae-chan and I were in a cafe, and I had learned too late it was a bribe to get me to go on a double date with her and Bandana, aka Makio-san.

I knew Neuro would not be pleased if I agreed to this, but Kanae-chan seemed _really _desperate, and she did buy me two whole cakes and practically a gallon of coffee...

I took a deep breath, knowing I was an amazing friend who was going to regret the next words out of my mouth.

"Ok. I'll do it."

"YAY!" Kanae-chan smothered me in a hug. "I'LL CALL MAIKO-KUN RIGHT NOW AND LET HIM KNOW!"

"What?! I haven't talked to Neuro yet!"

"Please, Nogami-san will totally say yes~." Kanae-chan smiled as she made her quick get away before I could change my mind. "Thanks! I'll see you Saturday!"

Please.

Shoot.

Me.

Now.

I groaned as I tried to think of how to break this to Neuro.

Forcing my already hungry butt out the door I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket, dialing Neuro's number.

"Yes?"

As curt as always, not even bothering to say hi.

"H-hey. Whatcha doing?"

There was silence on the line for a moment before Neuro spoke.

"What did you do?"

"Do? Why do you assume I did something?"

"Because the last time you called and said 'whatcha doing' you had gotten yourself into a bad situation with some guerillas in Africa, and I don't even know how you got in Africa in the first place."

I cringed.

I really had felt bad about Africa.

"Ah, well, I'm fine. Safe."

"Then you have no need to call me."

"WAIT! I-I may have promised Kanae-chan to hang out on Saturday."

There was another pause.

"I suppose I can hold the office by myself that day, just stay out of trouble."

"A-actually I promised both of us would hang out with her Saturday."

"Both of us? Why would that female want me along? She's not going to make you parade your elephant self in front of me wearing every outfit in the store again is she?"

"I apologized for that! And don't call your fiancee an elephant!"

"And then she forced both of us to try on matching swim suits."

I had felt bad about that too.

"Well, it's not going to be like that this time. It's kinda a double date thing, you might even remember the guy she'll be going with; Bandana?"

"The same Bandana who kidnapped you and works for the Yakuza?"

"He works for Godai and Kira now! And you know they're on the level!"

Neuro half sighed and half growled.

"I suppose I can't trust you alone with them. Fine, I'll clear up our schedule. But louse?"

"Yeah?"

"You were supposed to be here half an hour ago. **Run.**"

And even though I ran all the way to the office, I still got hit in the face with a stapler.

.

.

.

I was sweating it out as we all sat in the diner that Saturday.

All eight of us.

Kira had found out about the double date from Banda-Maiko-san, and had forced herself and Godai into the group.

Ishigaki-san and Todoroki-san had just showed up, Todoroki-san looking just as shocked as I was to find us here.

I found it rather suspicious Neuro didn't look so surprised.

And then Godai and Todoroki-san had the misfortune of sitting across from one another. Both barely broke their angry stares as they ordered their drinks.

Ishigaki-san had insisted on sitting next to Neuro, and was prattling non-stop about some anime or another, Neuro placated only slightly by the mystery book Ishigaki-san brought him.

Kira sat across from Ishigaki-san, extremely amused by Ishigaki-san and Neuro's exchange. And completely ignoring one very freaked out looking Maiko-san sitting next to her. Maiko-san no doubt still feared her as his boss, most likely his very scary and slightly mad boss.

I sat next to Neuro of course, trying my hardest to ignore the complete madness going on next to me.

This is why I can't have parties. All my friends are completely insane and would probably kill each other.

Kanae-chan sat across from me, slightly nervous about the turn out and the guy sitting next to her.

She leaned forward. "Sorry about Kira tagging along. I couldn't refuse her ya know. She wanted to support Maiko-kun." I think Kira had just made matters worse for him.

I whispered back in turn. "And I'm sorry about Ishigaki-san and Todoroki-san. Ishigaki-san has always been a bit dense and somewhat of a free-spirit."

I didn't mention I had no idea as to how they had known about it.

Kanae-chan smiled. "At least we're even."

I tried to smile back.

I was no longer worried about making a good impression on Maiko-san for Kanae-chan, and more worried about getting them both out of here jail-free and alive.

The food was served shortly, and I inhaled mine as fast as possible.

I really wanted this outing to end.

Kira had finally noticed Todoroki-san and Godai glaring at each other. She something or another to distract Godai, looking very annoyed and very jealous.

Please Kira, don't go crazy on me now.

Todoroki-san on the other hand, was getting annoyed at Ishigaki-san for sticking so close to Neuro. She pulled an anime plush out of her bag to bring his attention back to her.

And this freed Neuro up to start bothering me, 'helping' me eat and wipe crumbs off my face. At least he was force feeding me the food on his plate-a not-so subtle way of giving his food to me.

Kanae-chan took this opportunity to talk to Maiko-san, probably the first words she'd spoken to him the entire 'date'. Though it was less of a date and more of a circus by now.

By the time we had managed to eat all the food and pay I felt like I had been through a ten year long war.

"Wanna get icecream?"

I froze as Ishigaki-san spoke those words.

Words of horror.

But that wasn't nearly as scary as what came next. A loud chorus of "Sure!"

I groaned, following the group as the walked down the block.

They didn't make it halfway when Godai and Todoroki-san started to argue, angry voices ringing down the street.

Kira was picking a fight with Neuro, but her fight was less of an argument and more of a physical war.

Ishigaki-san was talking to Makio-san about the benefits of working in a butler cafe, and Kanae-chan looked stunned as she watched the circus take off.

I took a deep breath.

_**"QUIET!"**_

The group went silent and all turned to look at me.

"Kanae-chan and Maiko-san are walking home alone! Do it now!"

Maiko-san nodded, a mixture of uncertainty and surprise in his eyes. "Yes ma'am."

I see he was also used to taking orders.

Kanae-chan winked at me as they left, walking down the street hand in hand.

Kira smiled after them. "She freakin' better not make him cry."

I hoped for Kanae-chan's sake she didn't.

"So, icecream?"

Wha-?

The group kept walking, Godai and Todoroki-san both calmed down by their respective dates, and Neuro smiling as he grabbed my hand, pulling me along.

"You're the one who wanted to come, my louse."

I really need more normal friends.


	71. Omake 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own MTNN**

**Notes: **Yako's POV.

* * *

I took a deep breath, fingers fiddling with the bouquet in my hand.

"This is really nervous-making. What if I trip of something?"

Neuro smiled, his arm wrapped around mine.

"I can make sure of it for you."

"TRY IT AND I'LL KILL YOU."

The smile hadn't left his face, and I found myself worrying that he'd actually do it.

"Seriously! Think about Ishigaki-san! Do you really want to mess up his big day?"

Neuro picked me up by my arm, leaving my legs dangling and pumps threatening to fall off.

"I'm already wearing the suit you wanted me to, and walking twenty feet in front of hundreds of humans, and standing for no apparent reason for thirty minutes after that. I have a feeling he'll over look your clumsiness louse."

I frowned, fighting to pull away from him without ruining my dress or hair, being careful to avoid the eyes of the couples waiting behind us.

"Neuro! **Make me trip walking down the aisle and I will make the next week of your life as miserable as possible.**"

"I don't doubt it for a moment louse."

I was plopped back down on my feet a second before the door opened.

A slightly forced smile worked it's way onto my lips as Neuro and I walked painfully slowly with far too many eyes on us.

My fingers grabbed onto Neuro's sleeve, the action hidden by my arm.

Neuro glanced down at me, his smile widening.

We stepped up on the platform, Ishigaki-san already there.

Nodding at us subtlely he smiled a very nervous smile, hands weaved together and a slight look of panic on his face.

Surely he off all people wasn't getting cold feet at the altar was he?

He leaned over to whisper to Neuro.

"She's coming right? She was behind you guys in a dress and everything right?"

I held back a smile. Leave it to Ishigaki-san to be nervous at the altar because he's afraid his bride-to-be bailed on him.

"Of course she was." Neuro spoke the words matter-of-factly, already growing bored.

The music changed and Ishigaki-san jumped slightly, forcing himself to straighten and turn towards the aisle-way.

The doors opened and there Todoroki-san stood, dressed in white and glowing with a smile.

The room went silent with respective awe as she began her walk down the aisle.

"How slowly is she going to walk?"

Neuro's whisper was extremely soft, but I saw the other two couples behind us glare. They had definitely heard.

"Quiet Neuro! It's very rude to talk right now!" I barely mouthed the words, but he rolled his eyes at them.

It slightly scared me how good his hearing was. I could never talk about him behind his back that's for sure.

Nothing bad anyway.

I'm sure he'd get a kick out of hearing me compliment him.

...

Yeah, I probably shouldn't do that either.

Todoroki-san had reached the podium, and Ishigaki-san looked like his face was broken, a mix of awe and happiness.

Neuro twitched, having already stood still for a good five minutes.

My instincts kicked in.

"Ne-!"

Too late.

I was face down on the wood floor, dress wrinkled and flowers squashed.

With a slight bounce I popped back on my feet, a smile and apology on my lips.

And that is how the ceremony started.

.

.

.

I cringed as I forced a smile, apologizing for the fifth time to the Ishigaki-sans.

Shizuka-san laughed. "Don't worry about it Yako-san. Your clumsiness is well known in the police force. I was surprised you didn't fall walking down the aisle."

I could feel my smile crack slightly.

"I was shocked too. Thank you so much for being so nice about it. I was worried I had ruined your big day."

Jun-san looked shocked. "Eh~! How could you do that?!"

Shizuka-san smiled, winking at me as she spoke. "Men. They never understand these things." She shot a weak glare at Neuro after she spoke, but she was on a bridal happiness high, and there was no real menace behind it.

"Thanks for being my best man Neuro-tan~." Neuro blinked lazily at Jun-san, still pouting from the screaming out I had given him. "All my otouto's were fighting over it, and I thought this would be the best solution~!"

And had made Neuro an enemy of all of them no doubt.

Not that I cared at the moment.

I was ignoring him again.

And contemplating exactly how to get my revenge.

I seem to be growing more and more evil as I grew older. Maybe it was just my true disposition coming out, or-most likely-it was my choice of association.

"Katsuagi-san?"

I turned to smile brightly at two people I had only met recently - Shizuka-san's parents.

"Hi! I told you, just call me Yako!"

Neuro turned away from the small group who had gathered around the Ishigaki-san's, and faced the two who addressed me.

He was getting bored again, with me no longer speaking to him, Jun-san swarmed by others congratulating him, and Kira and Godai not being welcome at a wedding who's guests are ninety percent police officers.

Actually, Jun-san had wanted to invite them, and Kira had wanted to come, but Shizuka-san and Godai had both answered with a resounding '**NO!**'.

I wonder at times how such sane people ended up with the obviously insane.

And then I remembered I wasn't one to talk.

"This must be your fiancée Nogami-san! Shizuka-san had been so surprised when she heard of your engagement on the news!"

Neuro had never really understood the importance of being engaged, and thus he hadn't had any issue mentioning it to whoever asked about our relationship. Poor Godai did all he could to keep it contained, but you can only really do so much. And once one news station had reported it all of them were.

I tried to smile while forcing myself not to look at Neuro. He always grinned when our engagement was mentioned. But not because he was happy-no, that would be far too sweet a reason. He was grinning because he knew it annoyed me he had let the cat out the bag. So he viewed everyone knowing of it as sort of a running joke. A joke I didn't find funny.

"How do you do Todoroki-sans?" He bowed slightly, a look of innocence on his face.

"Oh my! How polite! You've got yourself a fine catch here Yako-san."

Your daughter thinks otherwise.

"You know, I must admit when Shizuka fist introduced us to Jun we were rather shocked. We didn't think he was her type at all, not to mention he works at a butler cafe!"

Yeah, he really likes it there. He gets to cosplay and everything.

"But when we learned he used to be the police chief and quit so he could date Shizuka we were just tickled pink! And now Shizuka is the police chief, but Jun doesn't seem to mind at all! What an amazing man!"

Now they were just bragging. Or maybe they were convincing themselves Jun-san was the perfect husband for their daughter. Well, at least he was as devoted as a puppy.

"Jun is definitely a good mate choice for your daughter. I'm sure their spawn will be defect free."

I felt my smile hitch a bit as Neuro spoke. I had insisted he say nothing at all bad about his "dear friend" Jun-san, but couldn't he have used a different choice of words?

I laughed awkwardly as the Todoroki's wondered what to say.

"He's working on his Japanese. It's not his native language, so some times he picks up weird words."

Well, it was pretty much the truth anyway.

The puzzled looks on their faces disappeared as they laughed, and I quickly excused Neuro and myself.

As soon as we were out of ear shot I whirled on Neuro.

"What the heck?! Think before you speak!"

"Oh, you're talking to me now?"

I glared at him.

He continued without waiting for a response. "I didn't insult them did I?"

"You almost did! 'Their children will be born without defects'?!"

"I didn't say that. I said it probably will be. I can't say something I'm not sure of."

ARGH!

Why can't he just be normal for once?!

"Whatever. And don't think this means I've forgotten you tripping me earlier. I am definitely going to remember that."

"You made me go to Jun's bachelor party!"

"So?! All you had to do was go to an anime convention!"

"Wearing a costume!"

"It was just a black suit!"

"And you died my hair black and made me take my batteries out!"

"Sebastian doesn't have triangles in his hair!"

We both glared at each other for another minute before I sighed.

"Look, now really isn't the time to argue. Let's just act as happy as we can until the reception is over with."

"Why do humans have such gatherings? To thank those who visited their mate ceremony with free food?"

"Don't call it that! But kinda. And to get to talk to friends. Not that you would understand that."

It was Neuro's turn to sigh. "How tedious. I suppose you'll want the same thing at our mate ceremony."

"Please just call it a wedding, and we haven't even decided when to get married."

"You mean you haven't decided."

"Same thing isn't it?"

Neuro smiled at my words, pulling me closer and planting a soft kiss on my lips. "Of course."

I had never really told Neuro that kissing wasn't exactly just expressing that he loved me. But it was close anyway, so I figured it didn't matter.

And it kinda made me warm inside to know every time Neuro kissed me it was like he was saying 'I love you', so it wasn't a misunderstanding I was planning on clearing up.

Though I had to explain to him that deeper kisses were not polite in front of other people.

"Look who's flirting so openly in public." The voice behind me sounded extremely familiar, but when I turned to look I didn't recognize the woman I was facing.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

Neuro was frowning deeply, and the woman just smiled at me. "It'll come to you in a minute."

"Stop playing around and just get going." I did recognize the man behind her however, even with the hat lowered to cover his eyes as much as possible.

"Kira?! Godai?! What the heck are you guys doing here?!" I hissed the words, knowing more than a few of the guests would be able to recognize the Dark Monarch, even if he wasn't wearing butterfly cufflinks.

"We just stopped by to drop a present off. Kira insisted."

The woman who was apparently Kira smiled, giving me a big hug. "You look so pretty! A shame we can't spend more time chatting. One of Shinobu's districts is getting kinda rowdy, and we're heading there to put the riff-raff back in their place."

I cringed, hoping none of the nearby cops could hear this. "Well, have fun."

I turned to head back to my seat, but quickly turned back around.

"Actually, would you mind if I go with you? Perhaps I can help with a diplomatic solution."

Kira's eyes lit up. "Of course!" Godai rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.

I smiled. "Let me just grab my purse and say good-bye to the Ishigaki-san's."

"We'll be in the car." Godai-san pulled a grinning Kira with him, looking slightly annoyed with the situation in general.

I waltzed back to the table, whispering the situation to Shizuka-san and grabbing my purse.

Neuro followed me towards the door, stopping as I turned to look at him. "And where exactly are you going?"

Neuro's eyes widened slightly before narrowing. "With you."

"Oh, I don't think so. Some one needs to stay here and support Jun-san and Shizuka-san. And since I'm needed with Godai and Kira you're the one who's going to stay."

Neuro looked beyond shocked, unsure of what to say.

"Stay here for two more hours or I'm not helping you with another case for a month. **A month.** Got that? **Stay.**"

There was definite anger seething behind Neuro's pointed teeth as I walked out the door, but I could feel a smile on my face.

Being stuck in a big group of people was torture for Neuro.

Torture that he sorely deserved for making me trip during the wedding.

I had warned him after all.


End file.
